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Lot Essay
This centerpiece closely follows a design attributed to the workshop of Pierre-François Feuchère (1737-1832, elected maître in 1763), which is now in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, and illustrated in H. Ottomeyer P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, p. 384, pl. 5.16.5. A very similar model of centerpiece with three putti supporting a pierced basket from a private collection in Munich is also illustrated in pl. 5.16.6.
Pierre-François Feuchère was sworn into the the guild of ciseleurs-doreurs in 1767. Feuchère was a member of a prominent family of gilders, who along with his father supplied gilt bronzes to the Royal family. The family firm survived the Revolution and continued successfully through the Empire and Restauration periods.
A pair of closely related centerpieces attributed to Feuchère sold anonymously, Christie's, New York, 22 May 2002, lot 310.
Examples of this model have also been attributed to Thomire et Cie, the firm founded by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, one of the most celebrated fondeur-doreurs of the Empire period. A closely related set of four centerpieces, with variations to the baskets and the bases, from an extensive princely surtout de table attributed to Thomire et Cie, sold by descent from King Vittorio Emanuele at Sotheby's, London, 13 June 2001, lot 397. These were reputedly from the collection of Louis Philippe at the Palais Royal, Paris. A further related pair from the same source sold in the same sale, lot 399.
Pierre-François Feuchère was sworn into the the guild of ciseleurs-doreurs in 1767. Feuchère was a member of a prominent family of gilders, who along with his father supplied gilt bronzes to the Royal family. The family firm survived the Revolution and continued successfully through the Empire and Restauration periods.
A pair of closely related centerpieces attributed to Feuchère sold anonymously, Christie's, New York, 22 May 2002, lot 310.
Examples of this model have also been attributed to Thomire et Cie, the firm founded by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, one of the most celebrated fondeur-doreurs of the Empire period. A closely related set of four centerpieces, with variations to the baskets and the bases, from an extensive princely surtout de table attributed to Thomire et Cie, sold by descent from King Vittorio Emanuele at Sotheby's, London, 13 June 2001, lot 397. These were reputedly from the collection of Louis Philippe at the Palais Royal, Paris. A further related pair from the same source sold in the same sale, lot 399.