Important Bronze Vase, Mid-19th Century

An important gilded and burnished bronze vase, composed of a gilded upper part pierced with palmette motifs and friezes, upon which elegant winged female figures rest. The central body of the vase features a gilded decoration depicting a centaur with a putto on his back; the sides, on the other hand, consist of two highly detailed satyr-shaped handles, whose feral paws rest on rams' heads.

The base features an elaborate grotesque decoration on the front depicting the god Neptune accompanied by two seahorses; on the side of the base, on the other hand, is a gilded swan.

Neoclassical details are also found on the ornamentation of vine leaves and bunches of grapes above the base and the friezes with the mask placed beneath the centaur.

Overall, the work is a fine example of neoclassical vases with these characteristics, for which early versions can be traced back to artists such as Claude Galle or, again, to artists active in Russia in the early 19th century.

The vase dates back to the mid-19th century and is of French origin; it was most likely made for Russian collectors, as can be deduced from the Cyrillic inscription on one side of the base.

MEASUREMENTS: 90 x 23 x 20 cm