France, Circa 1830 - Very Rare Moulded Glass Medallion Of Napoleon As A Colonel General After Andrieu

Visible in Paris. Free hand delivery in the capital and its suburbs. Postage for France: 15€. Contact me for Europe and the rest of the world.

Napoleon medallion
Glass moulded in imitation of a cameo
Chased brass frame
Dimensions : D. 10.5 (cm.)
France, circa 1830

Napoleon is depicted as a Colonel General of the Guard, in profile to the left, after Andrieu's medal of 1810. This representation is in imitation of white chalcedony.

According to Fernando Montes de Oca, a leading specialist in French glass and author of L'âge d'or du verre en France, 1800 - 1830 , this is an unusual creation: a true work of art, the portrait is made in "a cake of tripoli". Blown glass is applied to the cake after it has been heated. Applying the relief leaves an opaque, greyish-white glass, in imitation of the chalcedony used to make cameos.

Related work 
- from the Montes de Oca collection, identical medallion now in the Louvre (in poorer condition): https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010381468 
- attributed to the Manufacture de Bercy: round plate with notched edge in cut crystal engraved with the profiles of Napoleon 1st and Marie-Louise. Lot 133, Ader sale, 3 July 2014.

Condition report: probably original frame, very small chips on the reverse on the frame attachments, otherwise excellent condition.