An important colored biscuit porcelain fireplace Paris, circa 1855

the frieze stencilled on the reverse, Exposition...., Gille Fabricant, Paris

Sotheby's London, 18 and 21 March 1988, lot 222

Exposition Universelle de Paris, 1855

Overall in good condition. Surface dirt to porcelain. The top with light scratches consistent with use, not original to the fireplace. Small chips and nicks to edges. Wear to gilt upper molding. Turquoise base 1" in height has traces of restored chips to lower edge. No breaks or restorations to figures. The tip of the jester held by the female figure with restoration.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Gille was one of the most famous manufacturers of porcelain working in Paris in the 1850's and was particularly noted for the monumental scale of much of his work and the delicacy and variety of tones which he was able to achieve in his biscuit porcelain.
Bertrand Gille, originally a gem-setter, had founded his porcelain factory in 1837 at 28 rue Paradis-Poissonière. By 1844 the Gille factory operated four kilns and employed sixty men, plus a further sixty outside at the workshop. He was a regular exhibitor at the International Exhibitions in Paris in the 1840's and received a bronze medal for the decoration of porcelain in 1849. In the Great Exhibition of 1851, at Hyde Park, he received a first class medal for his work in biscuit porcelain (see R. de Phinal de Guillebon Paris Porcelain, London 1972.)
In his description of Gille's stand at the Paris Exhibition of 1855 (Album de l'Exposition Universelle, Paris 1856-9) Baron Brisse singles out one exhibit, '"La plus belle pièce de son (Gille) exposition était une cheminée avec figures aux angles d'une heureuse execution."
It seems certain that the present fireplace was this piece which helped secure for Gille the first class medal at the 1855 exhibition. It is difficult to establish whether or not the date on the stencilled inscription has been erased deliberately or simply left blank. Ultra violet light shows no evidence of any stencil. It is quite possible that the manufacturer sent the fireplace to more than one exhibition and erased the date himself, or that no date was stencilled for the same reason. This may seem an unusual idea today but would have been quite acceptable in the mid-nineteenth century, especially if the fireplace was in fact the one at the smaller 1844 exposition. Queen Victoria herself purchased items from the 1855 Paris Exhibition during one of her visits with Prince Albert to Napoleon III, two of these purchases were in fact originally exhibited in 1844, including a cabinet by Grohe. 
The plaque which centers the frieze derives from various series of engravings after Boucher, including "Les Quatre Elements" and "Les Jeux d"Enfants" (see P. Jean-Richard: L'Oeuvre Gravé de Francois Boucher Vol. 1, pp. 84-85, 230-238.)