"Small Decorative Bronze And Copper Bowl By Levillain Barbedienne, 19th Century"
A small, circular decorative bowl in gilt bronze and repoussé copper, adorned in its center with a high-relief medallion depicting two nude male figures holding a hunting trophy, a composition inspired by Neoclassicism. The medallion is signed “LEVILLAIN” within the design. Levillain was a 19th-century French sculptor and medalist, appreciated for his compositions inspired by antiquity and his mastery of relief. The bronze rim bears the signature “F. BARBEDIENNE,” attesting to an official edition by the renowned Parisian firm Barbedienne. This type of object, both decorative and utilitarian, was intended for the offices, libraries, or cabinets of collectors at the end of the 19th century. The quality of the relief, the fineness of the chasing, and the combination of copper and gilt bronze are characteristic of the refined productions of this period. French work from the late 19th century, in the Neoclassical style.