Pair of Neo-Renaissance Vitrines, Attributed to H-A Fourdinois, France, c. 1860

Important pair of armchairs attributed to H.A. Fourdinois, with a flat back in “chapeau de gendarme” centered with a carved and foliated cartouche, joining padded scroll armrests car...

Rare pair of Louis XV style gilt-bronze mounted curved shape vitrines attributed to J.E Zwiener. Glazed on all sides, they open with two doors framed by gilded and chiseled Rocaille style foliated bronze mounts. Resting on four cabriole legs ending with lion’s paws, the whole is covered by a « brèche de Benou » marble top. This model was probably designed by L. Messagé. Joseph-Emmanuel Zwiener was born in Germany in 1849. In 1880 he sets up his extensive workshops in rue de la Roquette in Paris where he creates many original pieces of furniture. He imitated practically every style, ranging from ‘’Boulle’’ to Louis XVI and including extraordinary personal interpretations of the Louis XV ‘’exuberant’’ style. He participated in the 1889 Universal Exhibition, held in Paris, and was awarded the gold medal for his remarkable copy of that most famous piece of furniture, Louis XV’s desk. The catalogue of the exhibition included a wonderful elegy qualifying the work as perfect : « No criticism what-so-ever could be made ». As that other famous cabinet-maker François Linke, Zwiener had most of his bronzes modelled by Léon Messagé whose work was considered as being of the best possible quality. Léon Messagé is a renowned designer and sculptor who integrated in his ornaments related to the Rocaille asymmetry, new lines and shapes announcing the “Art Nouveau” style. But even though, Messagé found inspiration with these 18th century artists, such as Nicolas Pineau or J. A. Meissonier, he didn’t simply copy their work and showed great originality, even extravagance, with some designs contained in "Cahier des dessins et croquis style Louis XV". He realized numerous sketches on grey paper before the execution of a reduced or life sized model of his ornaments, made of wax or terra-cotta. From 1885, Léon Messagé started working with important Parisian cabinet...

Rare aesthetic movement showcase, opening in its upper part by two beveled glass doors framed by brass moldings, in its lower part by two door panels in carved walnut decorated with blooming branches and gilded bronze ornaments representing dragons and birds. The sides are carved, like wicker woven. This showcase is topped by an important carved and gilded walnut cornice depicting a Fô Dog in its center, with a protective power, and rests on elephant head with overtuned trunk shaped feet. This type of elephant head with overtuned trunk shaped feet is a characteristic of the Maison Giroux, which can be found on many objects they produced. Aesthetic movement cabinet, signed Maison Alphonse Giroux...

Important two-tiered sideboard attributed to H.A. Fourdinois made in natural and carved wood : the lower part made up of four panels, two concave ones and two doors, richly ornated with a polychrome enameled floral decoration and gilt bronze plaques. A large dual drawer is surmounted by the upper part of the sideboard, opening with two glazed doors, framed by detached columns. The entire unit is topped with a pediment onto which a female bust is carved in relief within a medallion on a gilt background. With a matching set of twelve chairs. The Forney library in Paris preserves order registers of the Fourdinois as well as sketches books and pictures representing pieces of furniture made by the Fourdinois workshops. In this documentation, some elements enable us to link this sideboard with Henri-Auguste Fourdinois’ productions, such as the large scrolls linking the upper part to the lower part of the sideboard, as well as the detached columns carved at their lower third. (picture n°1 attached) Notebook containing ink-sketches coming from the Fourdinois workshop shows a project for a pelmet, beautified with a centering trophy composed of a torch and a quiver within in a foliage wreath, this motif obviously reused by the Fourdinois on the central decoration of the panels of our sideboard. (picture n°2 attached) The firm of Fourdinois, considered during the Second Empire as the greatest furniture manufacturer in Paris, was founded in 1835 by Alexandre-Georges Fourdinois (1799-1871). It was developped in the context of the Expositions Universelles. At the time, the firm already produces furniture of the Neo-Renaissance style, such as a dresser that won the Great Medal at the London Universal Exhibition of 1851. The son, Henri-Auguste Fourdinois (1830-1907), joined the firm in 1860 and will become head of the firm in 1867. The high quality of his designs was remarked at the Universal Exhibition in 1862, when the jury awarded him two medals « for Excellence of Composition and Execution ». Henri-Auguste, now sole in charge, brought the firm to the summit of its achievements at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris by winning the Grand Prize for his stand. Apart from the commissions he executed for the « Mobilier de la Couronne », he also produced high quality furniture for the Parisian bourgeoisie. The firm is at its zenith during the years 1862-1880. At this time, it is considered as an example to follow for other cabinet-makers, whether they are French, British or American. Through the quality of execution and the extreme care taken in the decoration of furniture, H.-A. Fourdinois was particularly appreciated by Napoleon III and Eugenie...

Solid oak, ornately carved. Large glass vitrine with interior shelves above 2 doors with interior shelves. Austro-Hungarian circa 1860/80. Part of ...

A Neo Renaissance Vitrine manufactured within the southeast of old Austro-Hungarian monarch, Baron Bethelen Castle. Private estate Beclean-Romania. R...

A Kingwood vitrine attributed to Maison G. Grimard, a well known French Ebenistes de art in the 19th century. The Ormolu mounted cabinet and frame are mounted with acanthus leaves an...

Antique Green Man Renaissance Revival oak vitrine, circa 1870s. Most likely Grand Flemish, made for the English market, possibly used to store ...