Ref.12691
Ernest LEVEILLE - Exceptional cracked glass vase with polychrome and gilt insert decor on a gilt bronze mount, circa1890

This exceptional cracked glass vase mounted in gilt bronze is a typical work of the late 1890’s production of Eugène Rousseau (1827 -1890) and Ernest-Baptiste Léveillé (1841-1913). Eugène Rousseau (1827 - 1890) merchant editor of porcelain and crystals established since 1855 on the 43 rue de la Coquillière à Paris, was a pioneer by going further that everybody else in the renewal of the glass art. Indeed, at the end of his life he starts to study the glasses coloration and obtains unexpected decorations by superposing colored and shady layers inspired bu the old Venetian techniques from the 16th century and practiced by the Chinese people during the 18th century. In 1884, he’s the first to exhibit cracked glass during the Exposition de l’Union centrale des arts décoratifs. Thus, he creates glasses with the aspect of gemstones. The following year in 1885, he gives his stock to his old student Ernest-Baptiste Léveillé, then also merchant editor of porcelains and crystals who had opened on the 74 boulevard Haussmann in Paris in 1869 la Maison Léveillé. Renamed « Maison Rousseau-Léveillé réunies », the production keeps the developed technical characteristics until the death of the master in 1890. The models then become more bold and the decors follow the trend of the curved line. Named again « Maison E. Léveillé », the store is moved nine years later on the 140 Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. In 1902, Ernest Léveillé merges with the maison Toy, also a crystals and porcelains stores, under the name « Maisons Toy et Léveillé réunies ». The establishment is then located on the 10 rue de la Paix. He participates to many Parisian Salons between 1892 and 1897 and also to the World’s Fairs of 1889 and 1900 in which he wins the gold medal. Our slender shape vase takes all the characteristics of the technique developed by Eugène Rousseau then exploited by Ernest Léveillé. Indeed, the cracked glass is decorated with an inclusion decoration of red, blue and gold powder, forming beautiful marbled mottled effects. Louis Vauxcelles speaks in these words about these characteristic on his book Histoire de l’art français de la Révolution à nos jours, published betweent 1922 and 1925 : « Without overloading the crystal with gold motifs as many others, without daubing it randomly with bright colors, without trying to assign a role for which it is not made for, or making it look like marble, porcelain, lacquer, bronze, he has for ambition to only create effects that are conform to its nature and to let it be enough by itself, and giving elements of its own decoration. Under the localized action of the oxides, he succeeds to mottle it and braids a net of blazing cracks thanks to a projection of cold water between two fires. Léveillé had the art of the unexpected projections, vigorous reliefs and capricious details. » Our vase also shows an impressive Napoleon III style gilt bronze mount with a remarkable quality of carving. The circular base rests on four feet, it is adorned with a round roses frieze and a torus of coiling acanthus leaves surmounted by flutes. A beautiful decor composed of small flowers bouquets and intertwined acanthus leaves comes to lightened up the lower part of the vase. The neck is encircled by a splendid knotted cord in gilt bronze falling on each side. This mount seems to have been made by the sculptor and bronze maker Paul Louchet (1854-1936) old student of Jules Lefebvre and Henri Harpignies. He signs by the mark « Louchet Fondeur Paris » a certain number of his Art Nouveau creations that he makes in his workshop located on the 3, rue Auber in Paris and that he exhibits in the Parisian Salons. The attribution of our mount to the work of this bronze maker was made thanks to a comparison with a similar mount on another vase signed by the artist.

Ref.15673
Victor BALTARD, Medallion from the Wheat and Flour Pavilion of the Paris Central Market, circa 1860

This medallion is one of the only bas-reliefs to have been preserved after the destruction of the Halles centrales of Paris in 1971. This exceptional rediscovery now brings the number of original medallions still existing and located to four. The first, with the coat of arms of Paris, is in the collections of the Carnavalet Museum. Two other copies had been saved by Mr. Crucy, contractor in the destruction of the Halles in 1971, and were sold in 2022: one identical to that of the Carnavalet and the other representing an allegory of wheat. Finally, the only counterpart of the latter is the medallion that we present here; the fourth and final bas-relief found. Together, these two allegories of wheat decorated the entrance to the Pavilion of Wheat and Flour above which culminated a third bas-relief, with the coat of arms of Paris. Ce médaillon en alliage métallique présente en son centre une femme drapée à l’antique tenant de sa main droite une botte d’épis de blé. La figure centrale est entourée de part et d’autre de cornes d’abondance, symbolisant le foisonnement de produits qui pouvaient être trouvés dans ces Halles historiques. Le Pavillon au blé et à la farine était essentiel puisque c’était là qu’une grande partie des Parisiens et des commerçants (restaurateurs, boulangers, pâtissiers) venaient se fournir pour faire leur pain ou leurs pâtisseries. En 1848, un concours fut organisé pour trouver l’architecte qui aurait la charge de construire les nouvelles Halles de Paris. La décision se porta sur Victor Baltard (1805-1914), architecte déjà reconnu puisqu’il avait entre autres remporté le Prix de Rome 15 ans plus tôt. S’il était prévu que les Halles soient construites en pierre, Napoléon III en changea les plans au profit d’une structure en métal après une visite sur le chantier en 1853. Fasciné par le Crystal Palace de Londres inauguré en 1851 pour l’Exposition universelle, Napoléon III était devenu un fervent promoteur de cette nouvelle architecture en France. C’est la Fonderie de Mazières et Bourges qui fut en charge du projet. Les Halles, qualifiées de « Ventre de Paris » par Emile Zola, sont aujourd’hui encore l’oeuvre la plus reconnue de Victor Baltard, une institution qui reste emblématique plus de 50 ans après sa disparition. Chacun des 12 pavillons des Halles était ouvert par une porte monumentale de 20 mètres de haut ornée de trois médaillons. Comme évoqué plus haut, les armes de Paris étaient toujours placées dans le médaillon sommital, tandis que les deux autres représentaient la marchandise dudit pavillon. Le bas-relief que nous vous présentons ici est donc le second et dernier exemplaire existant de médaillon représentant le blé qui ait orné le Pavillon au blé et à la farine.