Ref.17670
Ferdinand BARBEDIENNE - Pair of Neo-Classic bronze lamps after a model by Clodion

Signed by the famous Parisian bronze manufacturer Ferdinand Barbedienne and made circa 1880, these lamps are made out of bronze with brown patina. Executed after the marble model by Clodion which is shown at the Art Institute of Chicago, these Neo-Classic style lamps are carved with low-reliefs depicting the Sacrifice to Venus. Two chimeric monsters form the handles of these lamps.

Ref.14850
Maison Bernard, wrought iron craftsman, pair of richly decorated floor lamps, circa 1889

These monumental floor lamps were made circa 1889 by the the wrought-iron craftsman Antoine Bernard. They each rest on three feet in the shape of lion's paws extending in the form of volutes covered with ornamental acanthus leaves; in the center, the scrolls join a central foot, masked by masks and leather straps. Higher up, the uprights are hidden by a large shell. The central part is thin, then a large, richly decorated prominence announces the crowning of the floor lamp. Finally, a vase receives the glass ball of the luminaire, itself crowned with a small radiant circle of algae. One of the original opaque glass balls was carved with harmonious streaks forming a translucent star; the same pattern was reproduced on the other, in order to restore the harmony of the pair and return the lamp to its original appearance. Bernard took part in the Universal Exhibitions of 1889 and 1900 in Paris. Several examples of this floor lamp were exhibited at the 1889 exhibition. They were listed as "Louis XIV candelabras" in La Construction Moderne of 21 December 1889, which, following on from the previous edition of 14 December, listed the "remarkable samples of [the] art [of ironwork]" at that year's Exhibition; this mention was accompanied by an engraving. Bernard also presented two "consoles in the Louis XIV style" at the exhibition, which are probably similar in style to our light fittings. The Bernard company responded to very prestigious orders. She notably executed the Honor Gate, or Rooster Gate, of the Élysée Palace, in 1900. This gate has many characteristics in common with the two lamps: the same monumentality, the same foliage ornaments bring them together.

Ref.15612
B&Cie (porcelain), Charles POYARD (stamper), Félix FLICK (painter), Ornamental Dish With Portrait of a Berber Woman in its Wooden Frame, 1878

This faience dish was crafted by the B&Cie factory in Montereau, while its design was conceived and painted by Félix Flick; Charles Poyard likely contributed to the enameling. This beautiful portrait depicts a Berber woman in a bust, shown frontally. Her gaze does not meet that of the viewer, enhancing the mystery surrounding her. The woman’s features and fair complexion could belong to a European, as was often the case during this period, but her accessories identify her as Berber. Her forehead is adorned with a diadem featuring multiple golden pendants, securing a white veil that covers her hair. Her earrings echo the motif of the pendants, as does her necklace, which is further embellished with crescent moons. The Oriental woman’s deep blue dress, which resonates with the background color of the portrait, is overlaid with a drape of shining white and gold. The dish is set in a wooden frame whose ornamentation complements and enriches that of the plate itself. The engraved low-relief scrolls culminate in palmettes, while the four corners are adorned with flowers whose petals and centers are highlighted with gold. The circular shape of the dish is emphasized by a partially gilded ring. The dish is signed by both its creators within the decoration, as well as on the reverse, where it is also dated and bears the impressed mark used by the Creil and Montereau factory between 1876 and 1884. Félix Flick, a painter from Metz (1852–?), exhibited his work at Parisian Salons between 1876 and 1882. He primarily painted historical or Orientalist subjects on faience, as exemplified by this dish. The Montereau faience factory was founded in 1749 by Etienne François Mazois. It merged with the Creil faience factory in 1840, leading to the creation of the “Creil et Montereau” mark and the receipt of numerous awards and medals. Following a fire in 1895, only the Montereau site remained operational. In 1920, the group was acquired by the Choisy-le-Roi factory, before finally closing its doors in 1955. The name of Charles Poyard, though obscure, is mainly associated with the title of “estampeur” (engraver), thanks to two advertising tokens preserved at the Carnavalet Museum. The collaboration between Flick and Charles Poyard produced several Orientalist or historicist portraits similar to the one in question. One such example, also dated 1878, was auctioned at Artcurial in 2016. It portrays a turbaned man with upturned eyes, framed within a yellow border adorned with abstract Orientalist motifs. B&Cie (porcelain) Charles Poyard (stamper) Félix Flick (painter) Ornamental dish with portrait of a Berber woman in its wooden frame 1878Publish at Calameo