A Fine Quality Large Neo-Grec Gilt Bronze-Mounted and Champleve Enamel Decorated Onyx Jardiniere by F. Barbedienne

Maker: Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892)
Origin: French
Date: Third Quarter 19th century
Dimension: 8 1/2 in H x 22 1/4 in W x 13 in Deep

The ovoid body set with a band of enamel decoration of C scrolls, foliage and raised on four scrolling feet cast with female masks below shell crests, with entwined handles. One handle signed "F. Barbedienne.” The attribution to the designer Edouard Lievre is based on the similarity of the jardiniere to one that featured a monogram of interlaced Ds to the centre of each side of the vessel, a monogram used by Lievre for his important patron Edouard Detaille. (See Steinitz, Edouard Lièvre exhibition Catalogue, Paris, 2014, pp. 184-191). Interestingly, another Barbedienne jardiniere of near identical form that sold at auction featured the date 26th July 1864 in Roman numerals and 'JUILLET' to the central panel of the jardiniere in the same place that the other was monogrammed with D's. and so we know that the model was designed before 1864. The model for this jardiniere is usually attributed to the important designer Louis-Constant Sevin, who worked with Ferdinand Barbedienne for over thirty years from 1855 to 1888 and much of Barbedienne’s success was arguably due to the high quality, inventive models developed by Seven during this time. They exhibited together at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1867 and 1878. We know from the other jardiniere mentioned above that this design was already in use by 1864 and so it may well have been exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1867.