BY FERDINAND BARBEDIENNE, CIRCA 1880

The firm of Ferdinand Barbedienne (d. 1892) began in 1839 with a small foundry in Paris and became one of the most important bronziers of the 19th century. Working from his own designs, as well as those of other leading sculptors and artists, Barbedienne not only edited bronzes but produced decorative objects in styles that reflected the various design trends of the period, whether it be Islamic, as here, Japanese or Egyptian revival.