A FRENCH ORMOLU AND POLYCHROME-PATINATED BRONZE VASE
A FRENCH ORMOLU AND POLYCHROME-PATINATED BRONZE VASE
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A FRENCH ORMOLU AND POLYCHROME-PATINATED BRONZE VASE

DESIGNED BY EMILE-ALPHONSE REIBER, BY CHRISTOFLE & CIE., PARIS, CIRCA 1875

Details
A FRENCH ORMOLU AND POLYCHROME-PATINATED BRONZE VASE
DESIGNED BY EMILE-ALPHONSE REIBER, BY CHRISTOFLE & CIE., PARIS, CIRCA 1875
Decorated overall with silvered arabesques, the shaped foot signed CHRISTOFLE & CIE, the underside stamped 789594
12 ¾ in. (32.5 cm.) high

Lot Essay

Appointed as head of Christofle's design studio in 1865, Émile-Alphonse Reiber (d. 1893) developed, in addition to their usual production of silverware, a series of extraordinary pieces inspired by exotic mixed metal works, such as the present vase. With Christofle's considerable technical capabilities in orfèvrerie, galvanoplastie (electroplating) and bronze-work at his disposal, Reiber produced Persian, Chinese and Japanese-inspired designs realized in exceptional quality. His innovation was both technical and artistic, and the crowning achievement of his career was the breadth of cloisonné enamels and mixed-metal bronze-works which imitated fashionable trends of the late 19th century. The dessinateur and ornemiste promoted his appreciation in Albums Reiber: Bibliothèque Portative des Arts du Déssin, a compendium of designs in which he illustrates a propensity for ancient design and ornament.

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