.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The sculptor Eugène Cornu (d. 1875) worked for the Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d'Algérie who owned marble and onyx mines in Algeria. The firm was established in 1858 and set up a factory in Paris at 29, rue Popincourt. Onyx, known since Antiquity and used by both the ancient Egyptians and Roman civilisations, was shown to great acclaim at the 1862 International Exhibition in London, having only been re-discovered in 1849 in Oran, Algeria.
This garniture is reminiscent of work produced by the partnership between Cornu and Viot who created luxurious objects and furniture incorporating marble and decorated with enamel and bronze, as well as vases and fountains in marble. They reaped success at the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris, where they won the médaille d'or.
This garniture is reminiscent of work produced by the partnership between Cornu and Viot who created luxurious objects and furniture incorporating marble and decorated with enamel and bronze, as well as vases and fountains in marble. They reaped success at the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris, where they won the médaille d'or.