Ref.14593
Paul MAZAROZ - Napoleon III style semi-circular paneled wall

Rare piece of woodwork known to Mazaroz, the wall is built around a central fireplace topped by a mirror set in a highly ornate architectural frame. The eclectic decorative style used is characteristic of the lavish works of the Second Empire. The woodwork bears a signature by Mazaroz. The year is inscribed on each side of the mantel: "Anno 1877". Mazaroz's character is atypical. A native of Lons-le-Saunier and a friend of the famous painter Gustave Courbet, Paul Mazaroz is a multi-faceted character. In addition to being a patron of the arts and a sculptor, he is also the author of sociological and economic essays. After joining Riballier's workshop in Paris, he became his partner by marrying his daughter in 1853. This collaboration led the Riballier-Mazaroz factory towards modernity. Indeed, Mazaroz discovered the use of machines in cabinet making during the Universal Exhibition of 1851, a technique practiced by the English. He was the first to adopt it in France and considered himself an "industrial artist". His desire to adapt to the progress of his time led him to publish a photographic collection of his creations rather than a simple catalogue of engravings. Supplier to Napoleon III, his company became one of the most prosperous industries of the Second Empire and the Third Republic.

Ref.13730
SÈVRES Manufacture, Porcelain Tazza with Masks, 1846-1863

This splendid tazza in blue porcelain enhanced with gold was executed at the Sèvres manufactory between 1846 and 1863. The Vincennes manufactory, the ancestor of the Sèvres manufactory, was founded in 1740 by workers who had defected from the Chantilly manufactory. The Vincennes manufactory became royal in 1752, shortly before its transfer to Sèvres in 1756. It enjoyed growing popularity in the second half of the 18th century, and throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, continuing to the present day. This tazza features a highly elaborate shape and decoration. Its baluster stem alternates bands of deep blue with lighter shades embellished with gold filigree, and interlaced gold on a white background with an oriental motif. Three finely executed faun masks complete the decor. The cup itself is decorated with an alternation of more or less expressive male and female masks in relief, also enhanced with gold. Inside the tazza, numerous interlaced gold patterns, some more burnished than others, unfold on a white background. The manufactory stamps present under the base provide information about the creation of the piece: the tazza was crafted during the reign of Louis-Philippe (1830-1848), in 1846; the gold decoration was only completed in 1863, under Napoleon III (1852-1870). A pair of tazze of this model, dated 1854, were shown at the 1884 Union Centrale des Arts Décoratifs exhibition. This tazza is therefore a magnificent testimony to 19th-century decorative art, both in its form and its decoration.