Jules Auguste Habert-Dys ( 1850 - 1928)

macassar ebony, silver coloured metal and enamel, the doors inlaid with panels decorated with peony and olive branches, the sides and back with prunus, the mounts cast in high relief with flowers and sinuous leaves, the boxwood interior mounted wtih further stylised leaves and flowers

Christie's, London, 16 February 1994, lot 188

La Société des Artistes Français, 1903

Henri Classens, Habert-Dys, Maitre-Décorateur, Paris, circa 1900.
Alastair Duncan, The Paris Salons, 1895 - 1914, Volume V: Objets D'art & Metalware p. 306 for contemporary photographs of the present lot.

A large and impressive piece in good overall condition. There is a split to the panel on the top of the piece, running with the grain of the wood to the front of the applied decoration. The mounts are tarnished through oxidisation overall and may benefit from cleaning. There is some very minor wear to the gilt detailing on the enamel plaques but overall these are in excellent condition and bright. Minor old marks and scratches consistent with age and use. A rare and fine museum quality piece. Of a good size and with well cast and carved details. Ready for display.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Jules Auguste Habert was born into a poor family but his early talent for drawing was recognised and he was apprenticed initially to a firm who specialised in the decoration of churches and chapels.  From here he progressed to a large ceramics factory at Blois where the owner was determined to encourage his staff in art and literature. 
With the skills he had learnt, Habert moved to Paris in 1874 where he was admitted to Gérôme's studio at the École de Beaux-Arts and hoped to support himself through his studies by making ceramics.  The venture failed and he was forced to work again in the ceramics industry. 

His exceptional skill as a draughtsman meant that he was able to exhibit two earthenware panels at the Paris Salon des Artistes Français in 1876.  His skills were broadened by a period at the Haviland workshop where with Charles Haviland and Felix Braquemonrd he shared a fascination for the newly discovered Japanese art seen at the 1878 Paris International Exhibition.
 
His medium changed and his audience grew between 1881 and 1887 when he executed 500 drawings for the magazine, L'Art. It was at this time that he began to sign his work `Habert-Dys', (Dys having been his mother's maiden name).  Following the magazine's closure, Habert-Dys' designs were widely used by many different companies in France and the United Kingdom.  His name can be linked to designs not just for ceramics but also fans, wallpaper, jewellery and glass. It was from the turn of the century that Habert-Dys began executing some of his own designs and it was during this period that the present lot was created.  He worked in fine materials including exotic wood, silver, enamel, bronze, ivory, horn, pearls and semi-precious stones.  In 1907, Habert-Dys was appointed Professor of Drawing at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs but still energetic, he began experiments in glass making. His work in glass and lacquer continued until the outbreak of the first World War when his wife's failing health and financial difficulties curtailed his practical work.   
Although working in the design world for more than forty years, examples of Habert-Dys' own creations are scarce and rarely appear on the international market.

Examples of work by Habert-Dys can be found in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, Musée d'Orsay, Paris and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis.
For further biographical details see, Victor Arwas, Glass, Art Nouveau to Art Deco, London, 1977, pp. 104 - 106.