Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
Hôtel Lambert, Une Collection Princière, Volume III : À travers l’Hôtel Lambert
A pair of early Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted agate pot-pourri athéniennes, circa 1775-1780
Auction Closed
October 13, 06:27 PM GMT
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
A pair of early Louis XVI gilt-bronze mounted agate pot-pourri athéniennes, circa 1775-1780
the agate cups on four gilt-bronze supports with ram's head and hoof below a rinceaux frieze and bronze lids perforated by floral motifs
height 13½in.; diameter 5⅓in.; 34,6 cm.; 13,7 cm.
(2)
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Paire de pots-pourris en forme d'athéniennes en agate et monture de bronze doré d'époque Louis XVI, vers 1775-1780
height 13½in.; diameter 5⅓in.; 34,6 cm.; 13,7 cm.
(2)
Collection of Nicolas Demidoff (1773-1828), probably Paris and Florence;
Collection of Count Anatole Demidoff, Prince of San Donato (1812-1870), Florence;
Collection of Count Paul Demidoff (1839-1885), Palais de San Donato, Florence;
Sale of the collections of the Palais de San Donato, 15 mars 1880, n° 1435 (sold for 4,900 to Charles Mannhein);
Collection M. Labey de Montgermont, sale, 25 May 1891, Paris, no. 252, (sold for 7,000 francs to Stettiner);
Collection M. et Mme Louis Cartier, Paris;
Collection de M. Caude Cartier, Paris;
Sotheby's Monaco, Succession Claude Cartier, 25 November 1979, lot 184;
Osenat Fontainebleau, 29 June 2008, lot 52.
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Collection de Nicolas Demidoff (1773-1828), probablement à Paris et à Florence;
Collection du comte Anatole Demidoff, prince de San Donato (1812-1870), Florence;
Collection du comte Paul Demidoff (1839-1885), Palais de San Donato, Florence;
Vente des collections du Palais de San Donato, 15 mars 1880, n° 1435 (vendu pour 4 900 à Charles Mannhein);
Collection M. Labey de Montgermont, vente, 25 mai 1891, Paris, n° 252, (vendu pour 7 000 francs à Stettiner);
Collection M. et Mme Louis Cartier, Paris;
Collection de M. Caude Cartier, Paris;
Sotheby's Monaco, Succession Claude Cartier, 25 novembre 1979, lot 184;
Osenat Fontainebleau, 29 juin 2008, lot 52.
These unusual agate coupes, mounted in bronze as pots pourris, are a testament to the passion for richly mounted marbles and semi-precious stones in France in the late 18th century. Great collectors such as the duc d’Aumont and his daughter, the duchesse de Mazarin, commissioned the best Parisian bronziers – especially Pierre Gouthière – to mount imported valuable marbles. The passion was also shared by king Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette who made many purchases in the sale of the duc d’Aumont’s collection.
Of exquisite chasing, these objects also exemplify the neoclassical taste through the Antique-inspired shape of the athénienne. The agate bowls are supported by monopodiae with ram’s heads, ending on hoof feet. These naturalistic têtes recall for example the ones on the duc d’Aumont green porphyry vase, today in the Louvre collections (OA5179), by Gouthière.
This pair belonged to one of the most remarkable collections of the 19th century, the Demidoff Collection, which had on Count Anatole Demidoff, Prince of San Donato (1812-1870), a voracious collector passionate for the 18th century. His nephew and heir, Count Paul Demidoff (1839-1885), organized a landmark sale of the contents of their Florentine villa, San Donato, in 1880, where the present lot was sold for 4,900 to the French dealer Charles Mannhein; there it was described as “Une pair de fort beaux brûle-parfum en agate orientale rubanée, avec monture sur quatre pieds fourchous surmontés de tête de bélier, frise ajourée et couvercle en bronze doré du temps de Louis XVI et bases carrées en porphyre rouge oriental”.