Ref.16057
Julien-Nicolas Rivart (1802-1867) – Photo album with porcelain marquetry decoration on leather

The porcelain decoration on the cover was created using a technique patented by Julien-Nicolas Rivart. The painted design depicts three winged Cupids within a frame outlined in gold leaf. The black leather cover contrasts with and highlights the vibrancy of the porcelain. Most works using Rivart's patented technique are executed on a wood or stone support; leather support for porcelain marquetry is therefore particularly rare. When he developed this technique, Rivart drew inspiration from both Florentine hardstone mosaics and the 18th-century vogue for porcelain plaques set into panels. In doing so, he perfected an original technique, revolutionizing the use of porcelain in the decorative arts. Having won numerous awards at World's Fairs, Rivart's creations were highly acclaimed. His ingenious technique is considered one of the most important innovations for furniture decoration at the time and was unanimously praised by critics. Patenting his invention in 1849, Rivart secured a unique, but rare, production of furniture and small decorative items of exceptional quality and refinement. This rare photo album testifies to the preciousness of the technique: the endpapers and flyleaf are adorned with royal blue velvet, and the page edges are gilded with gold leaf. This album undoubtedly belonged to a very devout person, as it contained photographs (now missing) captioned with biblical passages or portraits of religious figures. It is secured with a brass lock.

Ref.14224
Maison Mottheau et Fils, Japonist gilt-bronze chandelier

Founded in 1864 by Maison Mottheau et Fils, when Ernest Mottheau was only 23 years old, the firm became one of the great Parisian names in the design and manufacture of chandeliers and candelabra. Ernest Mottheau frequently collaborated with sculptors in the creation of certain works. The firm took part in the Universal Exhibitions of 1867, 1878, 1889 (gold medal), and 1900. The 1900 Universal Exhibition crowned a lifetime of work, as Ernest Mottheau was awarded a Grand Prix for La Nature, a torchère in onyx and gilt bronze created in collaboration with the ornamental sculptor Eugène Piat, making full use of the possibilities offered by the then-new electrical technology. Designed around 1900, this Japonist chandelier with dragons in gilt bronze by Maison Mottheau is fitted with seven lights. It features three dragons descending onto an openworked hexagonal band. The winged creatures are finely chased, their jaws open in a powerful expression. Pierced Japonist motifs, evoking architectural elements, alternate with the dragons along the band. Flowering plum branches emerge from within these openwork motifs, while flower-shaped glass shades cover the bulbs. The lower section holds an engraved glass bowl and terminates in a fleuron motif.