London - Decorative Objects

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlaid with a sumptuous arrangement of semi-precious stones including malachite, agate, onyx and amethyst. It is beautifully inlaid on a slate base. Not only is this desk paperweight very functional, but it is also an exquisite mineralogical wonder that can be admired by all discerning collectors. Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation, Dimensions in cm: Height 2 x Width 17 x Depth 10 Dimensions in inches: Height 1 inch x width 7 inches x depth 4 inches. Pietra dura is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished coloured stones to create images. It is considered a decorative art. Pietre dure is an Italian plural meaning "hard rocks" or hardstones; the singular pietra dura is also encountered in Italian. In Italian, but not in English, the term embraces all gem engraving and hardstone carving, which is the artistic carving of three-dimensional objects in semi-precious stone, normally from a single piece, for example in Chinese jade. The traditional convention in English has been to use the singular pietra dura just to denote multi-colored inlay work. However, in recent years there has been a trend to use pietre dure as a term for the same thing, but not for all of the techniques it covers, in Italian. But the title of a 2008 exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe used the full Italian sense of the term, probably because they thought that it had greater brand recognition. The material on the website speaks of objects such as a vase in lapis lazuli as being examples of "hardstone carving (pietre dure)" The Victoria & Albert Museum in London uses both versions on its website, but uses pietra dura. "A method of inlaying coloured marbles or semi-precious stones into a stone base, often in geometric or flower patterns...." Giovanni Montelatici...

Unique and exquisite brass cast leaf bowl. Handmade using highly skilled and specialised traditional processes to create an original and sumptuous piece. Slight variations in the pa...

Very large midcentury Italian ceramic vase (circa 1950s). Its elliptical shape and distinctly modern style encapsulates its orig...

A late 19th century brasswork repoussé planter with animal head ring handles and paw feet.

Wonderful extra large unglazed Fulham pottery urn with glazed inside to hold flowers in water. Designed in the 1930s by the famous British florist Constance Spry, made by Fulham Pott...

This stunning super heavy Large Murano Art Glass Vase is handmade mouth blown in Black and Clear Cristallo Glass With Silver Leaf between the two layer This exquisite Murano art gla...

Two finely hand-spun brass plates make up this pendant light, a bronze to brass gradient accentuates the shape. The light is projected into the shade and reflects out, illuminating without creating a glare. This light fixture is suitable for both contemporary and vintage inspired interiors...

Mid Century Italian Murano Sommerso Ashtray Flavio Poli For Seguso C.1960 In very good condition commensurate of age.

Libyan Desert Glass Circa 29 Million y/o Height: 9.5 cm A beautiful, tactile piece of yellow glass, found between the high crested dunes of the Libyan De...

A Magnifient Lapis Empire Style Box This box is Absolutely Stunning, Ormolu Mounted

Gallo-Roman Quernstone Fécamp, Seine-Maritime, France Circa 2nd century BC - mid-4th century AD Carved puddingstone Diameter: 43 cm The lower grinding stone from a late Iron Age, ea...

An exceptionally stunning early 20th Century French cameo glass vase etched and enamelled with a scenic landscape of Lake Como including mountrains, buildings and birds. The vase wit...

Resembling an infinity sign, this whole geode is a stunning and rich piece, full of mineralogical information. The outer layer is basalt, the interior amethyst crystals, and at the h...

Set of flower holders, handmade brass cylinder-shaped made of different sizes in diameter and heights. Handmade brass cylinder-shaped made of different s...

This substantial formation consists of prominent white quartz crystals with a slight green tinge, laid over a bed of undulating stalactites. A small hon...

A brass desk top model of a Kedge admiralty anchor. Well modeled with Shank, stock, crown, flukes, shackle and keep pin.  

Decorative ceramic vide-poche by Pol Chambost (circa 1950s). Small yet elegant seashell-shaped form with white base and dark, grape-purple outline and lip. Outside of the centre, the...

A gorgeous Art Deco opalescent glass salver decorated with eight fan-like flowering carnation blooms flanked by leafy fronds arranged in a circle, exhibiting a strong sky blue opales...

Beautiful section of an amethyst geode, unusually thin in cross section and resembling a shell with gorgeous deep purple amethyst lining. Origin : Artigas, Uruguay

A Continental Secession style Arts & Crafts oak mantle clock stepped top a silvered dial behind a full length door with bevelled glass flanked by two pairs ...

This 20th century Turkish tapered storage pot is a striking example of handcrafted Mediterranean pottery, originally used for storing foodstuffs ...

This is a superb decorative antique Italian Grand Tour marble Pietra Dura mounted desk paperweight, circa 1880 in date. This splendid rectangular paperweight is exquisitely inlai...

This is a superb vintage patinated bronze group of a hunter holding a fox over his hounds, dating from the late 20th Century. The bronze comprises a central Scottish hunter...

A beautiful patinated Art Nouveau bronze study of a young Art Nouveau beauty sat upon a wall wearing chains with excellent variegated rich brown patina and excellent hand chased surf...

A magnificent and extremely sculptural specimen of the Seymchan meteorite, recovered in the Russian Far East. This rare and large end cut preserves the patinated and partially melted...

A C.1930s black Catalan terracotta cosi pot from the village of Quart. Originally used for the storage of wine &/or olive oil. Nicely patinated du...

An incredible amethyst formation with central calcite "arch" and calcite spear. Two special calcite formations are shown here; the first is a beautiful arch covered with a blanket...

A very attractive early 20th Century French cameo glass slender shaped vase decroated with deep burgundy and red flowers against a vibrant yellow field, signed Gallé. ADDITIONAL INF...

Pair of Mid Century Brazilian Blue Agate Precious Mineral Bookends, C.1970 A stunning pair of polished geode bookends. Presented in excellent condition commensurate of age.

A skull of a juvenile Triceratops prorsus from the Maastrichtian, late Cretaceous period (68-65 million years ago). The triceratops roamed the plains of what is now North America a...

This elegant suspension piece by Arnaud Bazille, known as BAZ, blends minimalist design with sculptural expression. Mobile lunaire features a delicate arrangement of rods and tension...

French Iznik-inspired ceramic decorative plate by Édouard Cazaux (circa 1930s). Master ceramicist, Édouard Cazaux was inspired by antiquities, religion and animal life in his creatio...

Italian Alabaster Figure of the Medici Lion Late 19th century Italian carved alabaster 'Grand Tour' souvenir sculpture, after the antique, "The Medici Lion". Carved alabaster mode...

JLMENAU by Graf von Henneberg Porzellan beautiful trinket box with a gold floral design and hand painted gold detail. There has been a repair underneath the lid. Made in East Germany...

A striking faceted, geometric, cubist, clear glass vase which reflects the light beautifully from every angle. This heavy block vase was designed J. G. Durand for Luminarc in France...

A Tessellated marble Tazza urn in Italian Emporador Marble. The undulating edge on the dish with brass banded soccle support.

A beautiful large Japanese Meiji Period patinated bronze study of an elephant with tigers, signed on the belly, Meiji period, 1868-1912, and late...

This fascinating section of basalt perfectly illustrates how the precious amethyst appears in the tunnels of the underground mines of Artigas. Glistening deep purple crystals jump ...

A beautiful Anthony Redmile large white composite marble bust of Napoleon Bonaparte as Caesar, dating from the last quarter of the 20th century. Napoleon is shown with a laurel crown round his head, the bust is stamped AR to the reverse, and NAPOLÉON is inscribed below the bust. The attention to detail throughout the piece is second to none and the figure is extremely lifelike. This model is inspired after an example by Antoine-Denis Chaudet (French, 1763–1810), who, in 1799, carved the archetypal Napoleon Bonaparte portrait...

This is a wonderful antique French Grand Tour bronze model of the Vendome Column, circa 1880 in date. This splendid bronze features Napoleon I standing atop in his 'redingote' coat...

Rare Pallasite meteorite slices from Seymchan are among the most stunning and sought-after extraterrestrial specimens in the world. Pallasites are a rare type of stony-iron meteorite...

The Froxfield clock in Elm. A unique limited edition floor clock created by Comitti designer Edmund Barker using selected timbers and contemporary styling. The design is inspired by ...

A striking early 20th Century Art Deco French glass plate, the frosted surface with geometric engraved pattern and raised scallop shells exhibiting fine deep sky blue opalescent colo...

A large and impressive late 19th Century bronze study of the famous Venus de Milo sculpture of antiquity with excellent rich brown patina and good hand finished surface detail, inscribed F.Barbedienne foundry ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Height: 95 cm Width: 28 cm Depth: 28 cm Condition: Excellent Original Condition Circa: 1890 Materials: Bronze Foundry: F.Barbedienne SKU: 7741 ABOUT The Barbedienne Foundry is a famous 19th century bronze foundry, whose statues and art objects became rapidly very renowned. This bronze studio co-worked with other trades, and put his name to a great variety of works, such as furnishing in particular. Attending every World's Fair of its time, the Barbedienne Foundry was regularly awarded, notably at the World's Fair of 1855 where it was awarded the Great Medal of Honor. A Parisian bronze maker and caster, Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) creates a firm in 1839 in collaboration with Achille Collas, the inventor of the mechanical method to obtain copies of sculptures at a smaller scale. With this groundbreaking proceed, they facilitated an unprecedented production. Under the “Collas et Barbedienne” name, they specialized in Antiquity copies and perfected new chemical methods for the color and patina finish of their bronzes. As a true Romantic, Ferdinand Barbedienne is committed to democratization of arts, he thus realizes numerous Antiquity copies and stimulates his contemporaries’ works broadcasting. A great deal of famous sculptures are hence cast by the Barbedienne Foundry. All his life, Barbedienne co-worked with the greatest artists, sculptors or designers of his time, such as Edouard Lievre, Ferdinand Levillain, Attarge, Aizelin, Barye or Fremiet. Statues aside, he products a great deal of decorative artifacts, such as clocks, vases, mirrors, etc. Since 1855, Ferdinand Barbedienne collaborates with the famous decoration designer Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888). Joining the firm as a sculptor-designer, he stays loyal to it his life long, always finding more new designs for daily objects, which hence become true art works. Sevin’s creations, specialized in the “Neo-Greek” style, were particularly appreciated for antiquity reference in decorative arts, just like the great mirror preserved by the Orsay Museum. He also teams up with enamelers including Alfred Serre, and develops a set of “cloisonnés” enamels that made the headlines at the World's Fair of 1862 in London, which was the very beginning of the art of enamel’s return. In collaboration with Serre, Barbedienne realized between 1878 and 1889 the Monumental Clock in Renaissance style, decorated with enamels, which is preserved in the Paris City Hall. Venus de Milo Facts about Venus de Milo sculpture. For much of the world, the mystery of the Venus de Milo lies in her missing arms. But there’s much more to this iconic statue than a couple of absent appendages. 1. Venus de Milo‘s title is a bit misleading. It’s popularly believed that this Grecian statue depicts the Greek Goddess of love and beauty, who was often rendered half-naked. However, the Greeks would have called this deity Aphrodite. Nonetheless, the Roman-inspired Venus de Milo caught on. 2. She’s named in part for where she was discovered. On April 8, 1820, a farmer named Yorgos Kentrotas came across the statue in pieces within the ruins of an ancient city on the island of Milos (formerly known as Melos). 3. Alexandros of Antioch is credited with her creation. A sculptor of the Hellenistic period, Alexandros is believed to have carved this masterpiece between 130 and 100 BCE. The inscription on the plinth—the slab on which the statue rested—that identified him as Venus de Milo‘s creator was lost nearly 200 years ago. 4. She might not be Venus. Some have suggested the sculpture is not Aphrodite/Venus, but Amphitrite, the sea goddess who was particularly adored on Milos. Still others have proposed she’s Victory, or perhaps a prostitute. With her arms long missing, would-be context clues have been lost for centuries. A spear could have meant one thing, a spool of thread another. If she held an apple—as some reports claim—it could mean she was Aphrodite, holding the award given to her by Paris before the Trojan War began. To this day, it’s a matter of passionate debate. 5. She became a gift to the King of France. When Kentrotas called upon a French naval officer to help him unearth the spectacular sculpture, he began a chain of events that would eventually lead to the Marquis de Rivière presenting Venus de Milo to Louis XVIII. In turn, the ruler gave the statue to the Louvre, where it is on display to this very day. 6. The loss of her limbs is the fault of the French. Kentrotas did find fragments of an arm and a hand when he uncovered the statue in the ruins, but as Venus de Milo was being reassembled, those arms were discarded for having a “rougher” appearance. Modern art historians believe that the variation of finish does not mean those arms did not belong to Venus, but both the arms and the original plinth have been lost since the piece moved to Paris in 1820. 7. The original plinth was ditched on purpose. Sight unseen, early 19th century art historians decided the newly discovered Venus must have been the work of Greek artist Praxiteles, and publicized the work as such. This attribution would have placed the piece in the Classical period (5th through 4th centuries BCE), which was more respected artistically than the Hellenistic period. To save face and better promote Venus de Milo—even at the cost of misinforming the public—the plinth was removed before it was presented to the King. 8. Venus de Milo was meant to make up for a national embarrassment. During his conquests, Napoleon Bonaparte had plundered one of the finest examples of Greek sculpture, Venus de’ Medici, from Italy. In 1815, the French government returned that beloved sculpture, but in 1820, France embraced the chance to fill the hole its absence left in the French culture and national pride. As such, Venus de Milo was promoted as being even greater than Venus de’ Medici upon her Louvre debut. The ploy worked, and the piece was met with almost universal praise from artists and critics. 9. Renoir was not impressed. Perhaps the most famous of Venus de Milo‘s detractors, the celebrated Impressionist painter dismissed this delicate depiction of grace and female beauty as “a big gendarme.” 10. She went into hiding during World War II. By the autumn of 1939, war threatened to descend on Paris, so Venus de Milo along with some other priceless pieces, such as Winged Victory of Samothrace and Michelangelo’s Slaves, were whisked away for safekeeping at various châteaux in the French countryside. 11. She’s been robbed! Venus is missing more than just her arms. She was originally draped in jewellery including a bracelet, earrings and a headband. These flourishes are long lost, but the holes for fixing them to the piece remain in the marble, giving clues to the missing accessories. 12. She lost her colour. While it’s easy for today’s art admirers to think of Greek statues as white, the marble was often painted in the style of polychromy. However, no trace of the original paint scheme remains on Venus de Milo today. 13. She’s taller than most people. Even with her slight slouch, Venus de Milo stands at 6 feet 8 inches tall. 14. She could be a copy. Art historians have noted that Venus de Milo bears a striking resemblance to Aphrodite of Capua, which is a Roman era copy of a possibly late 4th century BCE bronze Greek original. That would be at least 170 years before Alexandros carved his goddess, leading some to speculate that both statues are actually replicas of an older statue...

A unique pair of hand-formed bowls crafted from papier-mâché, each with a richly textured surface and sculptural form. One features a shallow, open shape, while the other is footed w...

A 1950s lilac Murano glass hinged box with facetted lid and silver metal edge detail and hinge by Giovanni Cendese, Murano, Italy.  

A nice quality pair of English Art Nouveau candle sticks with flowing organic decoration throughout. Price for the pair.

Last in the current series, a table lamp of mother and baby elephant is hand crafted molded and cast . A whimsical functional sculptural table lamp of elephants strolling along with...

This is a beautifully detailed antique Italian Grand Tour School bronze figural sculpture of Hermes, dating from Circa 1880. Mercury is cast after the original held at the Museo Naz...

Dramatic early 20th Century French Art Deco clear glass car mascot modelled as a standing falcon with good hand finished detail, signed R Lalique and France 'Faucon' Bouchon de Rad...

A gorgeous slab of vibrant lapis lazuli. Lapis lazuli inclides lazurite (intense blue), calcite (white veins) and pyrite (gold flecks). Prized since ancient times, this is a wonder...

Howell and James in the style of Lewis Foreman Day. A small Aesthetic Movement walnut mantle clock with brass finials and brass feet, a pierced gallery to the top centred with a fan ...

"Timore" by Marc Lalique A delightful French frosted grey glass sculpture of a standing baby elephant with its trunk raised, the surface with very fine detail, signed Lalique France...

This is a wonderful antique French Gonçalo Alves marquetry and ormolu mounted casket, circa 1860 in date. The casket of bureau form has a lift up top and is inlaid with a marquetry ...

Two finely hand-spun brass plates make up this pendant light, finished in a verdigris patina to create this unique appearance. The light is projected into the shade and reflects out,...

A late eighteenth century lignum vitae sphere of large scale. Lignum vitae was favoured by Dame Barbara Hepworth, and a Hepworth sphere sculpture in th...

A midcentury gilt desk clock and weather compendium by Imhof. A stunning vintage timepiece that captures the elegance and style of midcentury design...

A very fine early 20th Century cold painted Austrian bronze study of a standing cockatoo with superb naturalistic colour and excellent hand chased surface detail, signed with the Ber...

Description: A wrought-iron and pressed-glass chandelier designed by Erik Höglund for Kosta Boda during the 1960s. The blackened wrought-iron framework of this 6-armed chandelier is ...

Set of three mixed handmade brushed cast brass decorative bowls. Each of those original and elegant bowls are handmade individually. Cast using very traditional techniques. Slight ...