Ref.10491
Important Louis XVI style gilt bronze clock with solar mask, Napoleon 3 period

This very beautiful Louis XVI style clock was made around 1880. Its ornamentation of gilt bronze is very rich, from the pedestal to the Medicis Vase which crowns the whole. The dial, enamelled with hours in Roman numerals and seconds in arabic numerals, is framed by small rosettes. The pendulum in the form of a solar mask, referring to the god Apollo and to the time defined by the sun's rush, is chiseled with finesse and framed by two pilasters. Finally, the whole composition is decorated with garlands and acanthus leaves describing beautiful scrolls.

Ref.12447
Pair of Baccarat crystal vases with Japanese decoration

Pair of vases with Japanese decoration in Baccarat crystal and gilt bronze frame.

Ref.15270
LONGWY Manufacture, Earthenware dish decorated with a tennis player

This bowl with a tennis player decoration was made around 1950 by the Longwy Enamels factory for the Metz Railway Workers’ Sports Association. It is probably a prize intended for the winner of a tennis competition. The center of the bowl is occupied by a tennis player depicted in action, at the edge of a court, about to return the ball coming towards his racket, which he keeps his eyes fixed on. The spectator stands where his opponent should be, thus in the place of the athlete, which includes them in the scene and gives the composition a striking directness. The 20th century saw the association of art and sport reach new heights. On one hand, sport became a popular subject in the art world; on the other hand, sports competition organizers were inclined to commission artistic objects to award to athletes. This bowl is an emblematic example of this trend.

Ref.14002
JULES VIEILLARD & COMPAGNIE, large Japanese-style cachepot in Bordeaux earthenware with polychrome enamel decoration

This large, Japanese-style cachepot in Bordeaux earthenware is signed Jules Vieillard et Compagnie. The rich polychrome enamel decoration blends scrolls, flowers, medallions, and stylized cranes. The base is decorated with a Greek key frieze and blue Japanese-style volutes. Acanthus scrolls unfold against a plain background, displaying large blue flowers. The decoration alternates a series of blue medallions with symmetrical floral motifs with large pink medallions depicting cranes in flight. The shoulder features an alternating frieze of stylized blue and pink petals, characteristic of Japanese ornamental design. Our cachepot is signed under the base: three interlaced crescents represent the coat of arms of the city of Bordeaux. This mark indicates a period of manufacture between 1868 and 1895, when Jules Vieillard's two sons, Charles and Albert, managed the factory. The genesis of this type of Japonisme decoration can certainly be attributed to the presence of Amédée de Caranza at Vieillard from 1878 onwards. A visionary workshop manager with a sensibility imbued with Orientalism and Japonisme, the Bordeaux factory flourished after the 1878 Universal Exhibition, largely thanks to the models, designs, and enameling techniques introduced by Amédée de Caranza. This superb Japonisme cachepot can be dated to the last quarter of the 19th century, between 1878 and 1895.