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A FINE FRENCH ELECTROTYPE COPY OF THE EMBOSSED 'CAESAR AND POMPEY' PARADE ARMOUR OF HENRI II OF FRANCE (1519-59), IN THE MID-16TH CENTURY FONTAINBLEAU STYLE

MID-19TH CENTURY

Details

A FINE FRENCH ELECTROTYPE COPY OF THE EMBOSSED 'CAESAR AND POMPEY' PARADE ARMOUR OF HENRI II OF FRANCE (1519-59), IN THE MID-16TH CENTURY FONTAINBLEAU STYLE
Mid-19th Century
Accurately modelled in relief and articulated throughout, decorated with scenes from the Great Roman Civil War of 49-44BC after a series of designs attributed to Etienne Delaune, the helmet, gauntlets and the elements of the upper body all incorporating a series of strapwork cartouches variously filled with complex battle scenes and scenes from the lives of Caesar and Pompey, including the Death of Julia, daughter of Caesar and wife of Pompey, drawn over the centre of the upper-bevor, Caesar's Victory at Pharsalus on the back-plate and a pair of vignettes covering the middle portion of the breast-plate, Caesar Presented with Pompey's Head and Ring and the Throne of Egypt Restored to Cleopatra by Caesar, and the entire armour profusely decorated with a Mannerist scheme of grotesques, monsters, masks, trophies and figures from Antiquity (some rivets missing, one inner greave unhinged): on a stand.

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

Lot Essay

The original armour is the third in a series of five armours embossed with the designs of Etienne Delaune for Henri II. The original is in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, and is recorded in the Royal Inventories taken in succession from 1673.

The present copy belongs to a group of art objects reproduced for educational purposes in the mid-19th Century from international public collections. The governing committee was chaired by Prince Albert, the Prince Consort. The present armour is attributed to Lionel Bros., Paris.

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