BY CHRISTOFLE & CIE., PARIS, DESIGNED BY EMILE REIBER, CIRCA 1873

Appointed as head of Christofle's design studio in 1865, Émile-Alphonse Reiber (d. 1893) successfully combined his artistic vision and Christofle's considerable technical capabilities in order to produce Persian, Chinese and Japanese-inspired designs realized in exceptional quality. The crowning achievement of his career was the breadth of cloisonné enamels, as illustrated in the refined craftsmanship and decorative appeal of the present lot. 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. A period photograph of this plate in the Christofle Archive is titled 'No. 4161 / Coupe plate, 3 oreilles, sur trépied oiseau et rivière’ (Album 25, f. 40). The number '840171' dates this plate to 1873.