Christofle et Cie.
A Pair of ‘Japonaise’ Style Silver Plated and Engraved Glass Decanters
£7,500
A Pair of ‘Japonaise’ Style Silver Plated and Engraved Glass Decanters, In the Manner of Christofle. This charming pair of glass decanters are decorated...
Dimensions
Height: 20 cm (8 in)Diameter: 12 cm (5 in)
Description
A Pair of ‘Japonaise’ Style Silver Plated and Engraved Glass Decanters, In the Manner of Christofle.
This charming pair of glass decanters are decorated in the ‘Japonisme’ style popular in France in the second half of the 19th century.
Each decanter is of bottle-form cut and engraved with parcel-gilt trees surmounted with an ivy-entwined neck and spherical stopper mounted with a model of bird, on a pierced ruyi foot.
French, Circa 1890.
The first modern contact between the Western World and Japan started after the arrival in Japan of the American, Commodore Perry in 1853, and the treaty which brought about the end of Japan’s period of isolation. This contact initiated an assimilation of Japanese styles by European artists and artisans, referred to as Japonisme or Japonaiserie by the French and paved the way for a whole new philosophy of art and design led by influential designers such as Édouard Lièvre.
From its beginnings in 1828, when Charles Christofle (1805-1863) took over the management of his brother-in-law’s bijouterie-joaillerie, the firm of Christofle & Compagnie has enjoyed a celebrated reputation as a premiere maker of argenterie electrochimique.
In 1844 Christofle was appointed silversmith to King Louis Philippe, exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and secured the patronage of Napoleon III for the refurbishment of the apartments of the Louvre in 1855. Such illustrious associations prospered and the firm of Christofle is now also known for supplying such exemplars of luxury as the Ritz Hotel, the Orient Express and the ocean liner Normandie.
Date
Circa 1890
Origin
France
Medium
Cut & Engraved Glass
Charles Christofle, who took over the business of his brother-in-law Joseph-Albert Bouilhet, established Christofle as silversmiths in Paris in 1830.
From the beginning, in addition to his own design studio, Christofle sought out leading artists, sculptors and ornamentalists, as well as accomplished designers, to create extraordinary pieces and collections.
In 1840 the firm introduced to France the revolutionary technique of silver plating metal by electrolysis. The statues crowning the roof of the Garnier Opera House in Paris are among the most impressive examples of this pioneering technique.
Prestigious commissions from royalty and heads of state, including King Louis-Philippe and Napoléon III, bear witness to Christofle’s success and reputation. Amongst other commissions Christofle made castings for a lady’s writing desk displayed at the 1867 Paris Exhibition and also for a childs cradle purchased by Napoléon III.
Makers Bibliography:
Rosenberg, David, ‘Christofle‘, Assouline, (London), 2006.
Ledoux – Lebard, Denise , ‘Les Ébénistes du XIXe Siècle’, Editions de L’Amateur, (Paris), 1984, p. 128.
Mestdagh, Camille & Lécoules, Peter, ‘L’Ameublement d’Art Français, 1850-1900′, Editions de L’Amateur (Paris), 2010.
Meyer, Jonathan, ‘Great Exhibitions – London, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, 1851-1900’, Antique Collectors’ Club, (Woodbridge,UK), 2006.
Blair, Claude, ‘The History of Silver’, Ballantine Publishing Group, (New York), 1987.
Sibel Dorsan, ‘Christofle: A legend revisited’, Diplomat Monthly Magazine, 2006.