Lot Essay
Paul Utzschneider entered into partnership with Joseph Fabry in 1792, at first producing ceramics in the factory in Sarreguemines until 1809 when Faby and Utschneider were awarded a gold medal at the Produit de L'industrie exhibition for their composition vases of pulverised stone in imitation of porphry, basalt and other precious stones. Their most celebrated commission was that orchestrated by Baron Vivant-Denon for Napoleon I, comprising twenty-two pairs of vases and eight pairs of candèlabres (see Carlton Hobbs, Catalogue, no. 3 and no. 10).