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Lot Essay
This extraodinary creation of the 'pittoresque' or Rococo fantasy directly reflects the influence of the ornemaniste Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier. With its naturallistically modelled coral and shells intertwined and wrapped with acanthus, its only comparable is the ormolu-mounted Arita porcelain pot-pourri which was sold from the Wildenstein Ojjeh Collection in 1979 (Sotheby's Monaco, 25-26 June 1979, lot 66, FFr. 700,000). In the Wildenstein/Ojjeh Catalogue, Francis Watson suggested that it may well be identifiable with the brief description in the Inventory taken of the Collection of the duc de Bourbon in 1740:- 'Une vase en forme de coquille, de porcelaine ancienne de Japon, monture en bronze d'ore'.
THE FASHION FOR COQUILLIERS
Known as the Siècle des Lumières or Age of Enlightenment, 18th century France is a time when amateurs became specially interested in all the Sciences: the Abbé Nolet gave physics lessons at the court at Versailles and the collectors ordered cabinets de curiosités like those of the comte d'Ons en Bray (see lot 20) and of Joseph Bonnier de La Mosson (illustrated in J.N. Ronfort, 'Science and the social elite during the early reign of Louis XV', The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal, Vol. 17 1989, p. 54), where they displayed technical instruments, rare shells, corals and scientific books.
The so-called coquillages had an important place in these cabinets de curiosités and expensive pieces of furniture were specially made to retain them. The earliest, dating from as early as 1706 and showing the influence of this trend in Europe is illustrated in A. Gruber et. al., L'art décoratif en Europe. Classique et Baroque, Paris, 1992, p. 326 while another one from a suite dating from five decades later designed by Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain and realised by the ébénistes Joseph and Leleu for Ange-Laurent Lalive de Jully, was sold from the marquess of Cholmondeley, Christie's London, 8 December 1994, lot 80).
Such was the fashion and expense of shells or coquillages that some of them were mounted while the porcelain manufacture at Sèvres created pieces directly inspired by their shapes.
THE VIENNESE ROTHSCHILDS
The incredible art collection of the Austrian branch of the Rothschild family was carefully formed over many generations. It had already reached a considerable size in the mid-19th century and the Katalog der Kunstsammlung des Freiherrn Anselm von Rothschild which was published in 1872 listed no less than 600 items, including two portraits by Frans Hals and the celebrated Rothschild prayerbook. The collection was mainly housed in the palace in the Theresianumgasse in Vienna, but also at the hunting lodge, Hohe Warte, and at Schloss Schillersdorf. Much of the collection entered the art market in New York from Baronin Clarice de Rothschild's collection through Rosenberg and Steibel, of which several of the most important pieces were acquired by Wildenstein; this included the magnificent Dubois corner cupboard supplied to count Branicki, which was sold in the 1979 Wildenstein/Ojjeh sale and is now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. The Viennese Rothschild's fabled collection also included the Louis XVI commode by Jean-Henri Riesener from the Bibliothèque of King Louis XVI at Versailles and the Louis XVI regulateur de parquet by Ferdinand Berthoud, Balthazar Lieutaud and Philippe Caffiéri, which was supplied to the Duc de Choiseul (sold from the collection of the Barons Nathaniel and Albert von Rothschild, Christie's London, 8 July 1999, lots 201 and 207).
THE FASHION FOR COQUILLIERS
Known as the Siècle des Lumières or Age of Enlightenment, 18th century France is a time when amateurs became specially interested in all the Sciences: the Abbé Nolet gave physics lessons at the court at Versailles and the collectors ordered cabinets de curiosités like those of the comte d'Ons en Bray (see lot 20) and of Joseph Bonnier de La Mosson (illustrated in J.N. Ronfort, 'Science and the social elite during the early reign of Louis XV', The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal, Vol. 17 1989, p. 54), where they displayed technical instruments, rare shells, corals and scientific books.
The so-called coquillages had an important place in these cabinets de curiosités and expensive pieces of furniture were specially made to retain them. The earliest, dating from as early as 1706 and showing the influence of this trend in Europe is illustrated in A. Gruber et. al., L'art décoratif en Europe. Classique et Baroque, Paris, 1992, p. 326 while another one from a suite dating from five decades later designed by Louis-Joseph Le Lorrain and realised by the ébénistes Joseph and Leleu for Ange-Laurent Lalive de Jully, was sold from the marquess of Cholmondeley, Christie's London, 8 December 1994, lot 80).
Such was the fashion and expense of shells or coquillages that some of them were mounted while the porcelain manufacture at Sèvres created pieces directly inspired by their shapes.
THE VIENNESE ROTHSCHILDS
The incredible art collection of the Austrian branch of the Rothschild family was carefully formed over many generations. It had already reached a considerable size in the mid-19th century and the Katalog der Kunstsammlung des Freiherrn Anselm von Rothschild which was published in 1872 listed no less than 600 items, including two portraits by Frans Hals and the celebrated Rothschild prayerbook. The collection was mainly housed in the palace in the Theresianumgasse in Vienna, but also at the hunting lodge, Hohe Warte, and at Schloss Schillersdorf. Much of the collection entered the art market in New York from Baronin Clarice de Rothschild's collection through Rosenberg and Steibel, of which several of the most important pieces were acquired by Wildenstein; this included the magnificent Dubois corner cupboard supplied to count Branicki, which was sold in the 1979 Wildenstein/Ojjeh sale and is now in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. The Viennese Rothschild's fabled collection also included the Louis XVI commode by Jean-Henri Riesener from the Bibliothèque of King Louis XVI at Versailles and the Louis XVI regulateur de parquet by Ferdinand Berthoud, Balthazar Lieutaud and Philippe Caffiéri, which was supplied to the Duc de Choiseul (sold from the collection of the Barons Nathaniel and Albert von Rothschild, Christie's London, 8 July 1999, lots 201 and 207).