THIRD QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

This pair of vases, grand in scale and rich in decoration, are a fine manifestation of European fascination with Chinese works of art and are a continuation of the tradition of the marchands-merciers of the Ancien Régime. For centuries, fine porcelains from the Far East have been a subject of fascination for European collectors. From the mid-18th century, celebrated French marchands-merciers oversaw the import of Chinese and Japanese porcelains which they combined with specially-designed bronze mounts by French bronziers and sold to the likes of the Marquise de Pompadour and many other sophisticated patrons of the Ancien Régime. The Famille Rose palette, seen here, was first employed by Chinese artisans on porcelain wares beginning in the 18th century, which then became highly sought after by sophisticated Occidental clientele, often to be mounted. It was utilized into the 19th century on increasingly large-scale vases and objects, such as the present lot.
During the Restauration and July Monarchy, a diverse taste in works of art prevailed which saw the creation of richly eclectic interiors combining the finest French works of art in the tradition of the 18th century with objects collected from around the world, a reflection of the far-flung contemporary French military and trade campaigns. Empress Eugénie’s musée Chinois at Château de Fontainebleau – a richly decorated series of rooms displaying objects from the Far East in the collection of the Imperial family and created in 1863 – is a fine example of the fashion. The trend continued throughout the second half of the 19th century and renowned 19th-century bronziers such as the firms of Crozatier and Ferdinand Barbedienne, in the tradition of their forebearers, were leading makers of mounts for these imported works of art. Compare the present lot to the two pairs of famille rose vases with signed Crozatier mounts, sold Christie’s, London, 7 July 2016, lots 334 and 335.