BY HENRI VIAN, PARIS, CIRCA 1900

Specializing almost exclusively in gilt-bronze, this highly unusual vase is a distinct departure for the prolific Parisian bronzier Henri Vian whose high-quality productions are often faithful reproductions based on the ancien régime. At the 1900 Exposition Universelle, a 'new style' prevailed over meubles de style, which witnessed even the most established of bronziers and ébénistes experimenting with 'contorted, attenuated and unbalanced' forms which became the hallmarks of the Art Nouveau movement. An example of this splendid and whimsical vase appeared on Vian's stand alongside a myriad of innovative designs, including an undulating marble and bronze fire-surround and his magnificent chandelier, titled Vagues et Sirènes (V. Champier, Les Industries d'Art à l'Exposition Universelle de 1900, Paris, 1902, p. 165).