ATTRIBUTED TO L'ESCALIER DE CRISTAL, PARIS, CIRCA 1870

The marchand-éditeur, L'Escalier de Cristal was established in 1802 by Madame Désarnaud, supplying clocks, lamps and other objets d'art to important European families. From 1840, the firm participated in and were awarded medals at most of the international exhibitions of the 19th century, finally being awarded a gold medal in Paris in 1900. The store became an icon of French luxury: 'Toutes les fortunes, tous les gens qui ont le discernement éclairé viennent à Paris, de tous les pays du monde pour lui [Pannier] demander son goût régulateur' (Exposition Universelle de Londres, Catalogue de la section française, 1862, p. 175).

The firm commissioned manufacturers to supply individual components which were then assembled to the firm's own designs - much in the tradition of the 18th century marchands-merciers. L'Escalier de Cristal collaborated throughout the 19th century with famous designers such as Viardot, Lièvre, and also the atelier of Baccarat for glass. A clock of Baccarat engraved crystal, with Japanese inspired langoustine-form bronze mounts attributed to L'Escalier de Cristal, was exhibited at Le Japonisme, le goût de l'exotisme au XIX me siècle, at the Galerie Roxane Rodriguez, 16 September-16 October 2004 (exhibition catalogue, pp. 13-14). A similarly-decorated jardinière attributed to the firm sold Christie's, London, 14 March 2013, lot 225 (£47,475).