Pair Of Bronze And Crystal Horn Vases Circa 1880

Pair of neo-Gothic bronze and crystal horn vases, 19th century
Height 50 cm
Circa 1860/80
Very good condition, neither missing nor chipped

Pair of patinated bronze and gilt bronze horn vases dating from the second half of the 19th century.
Each piece rests on an openwork base adorned with a fleur-de-lis frieze. A prancing heraldic lion, finely treated in a black patina, supports with its raised paw a molded crystal horn vase with vertical ribs and scalloped rim evoking a flower corolla.
This pair of vases is a refined blend of medieval decorative vocabulary and eclectic 19th-century aesthetics. The lion, a symbol of strength and nobility, is here the central element of the ornamentation.
These objects could have been intended to receive fresh or artificial flowers and naturally found their place on a mantelpiece, console or secretary.

A highly decorative set that combines the richness of bronze with the transparency of crystal.

The neo-Gothic taste underwent a major revival in France under the influence of the Romantic movement and the restorations led by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Parisian bronze workshops were producing numerous furnishing objects inspired by the Middle Ages: andirons, candelabras, jardinières, vases and mantelpiece trimmings. The presence of the heraldic lion and fleurs-de-lys is fully in line with this rediscovery of the knightly and monarchical imagination.