Center Table With Japanese Imari Porcelain And Gilt Bronze Mounts, France, 19th Century

A rare and highly decorative center table composed of Japanese Imari porcelain elements from the Edo period (late 17th – early 18th century), mounted on gilt bronze with an ebonized wood base. The upper bowl, richly decorated with a courtly scene inside and landscape motifs outside, is crowned with a pierced gilt bronze gallery and adorned with rocaille-style lion masks. The cylindrical shaft, also in Imari porcelain, features a vibrant floral decoration in red, blue, green, and gold enamels. The triangular base is mounted with elaborate gilt bronze ornaments, including fantastical sea creature heads and acanthus leaves. This piece is a fine example of 19th-century French Orientalist taste, which elevated exotic Asian materials through luxurious and sculptural reinterpretations.