Ref.15013
BACCARAT, Crystal Vase with Neo-Greek Decoration, circa 1867

This vase was executed by the Baccarat manufacture, which presented several pieces with similar decoration at the 1867 World’s Fair; it can therefore be dated to this period. Founded under Louis XV, the French crystal manufacture Baccarat demonstrated its excellence and creativity at the World Fairs throughout the 19th century. This double-layered crystal vase, etched with acid, adopts the shape of a crater, a vessel in which wine and water were mixed before meals in ancient Greece. Its decoration, blue on a white background, is also inspired by ancient Greece: the body is adorned with a figure of a young ephebe playing cymbals and a woman, probably a bacchante, dancing. Below the handles, there is a stylized decoration of scrolls and palmettes, while the base and neck are adorned with regular friezes. These elements are highlighted with gold. The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk (USA) and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris both have a Neo-Greek vase in the shape of an amphora executed by Baccarat around 1867, whose blue and white double crystal decorations are very similar to ours.

Ref.15592
Japanese-style daybed – Maison des Bambous

Rectangular daybed in carved blackened wood, resting on four scroll feet. The two ends are built as box compartments with double doors opening onto storage space. The surface is decorated in low relief with geometric, vegetal, and Asian-inspired patterns distributed across the legs, side panels, and apron. This piece is part of the production of Far Eastern–style furniture developed in France during the late 19th century, notably by the Maison des Bambous, founded by Perret & Vibert. A small ivory-like plaque is screwed on the back, inscribed: “Maison des Bambous – 170 Boulevard Haussmann – Paris.”