19th-century French Gilt-bronze “japonisme” Archaic Vase By Maison Marnyhac, Paris (c. 1880)

A late 19th-century vase in patinated and gilded bronze, in the Japonisme or Chinoiserie style. This piece was cast at the height of the Parisian Japonisme movement by the prestigious Maison Marnyhac. A testament to the exceptional craftsmanship of French foundries of the era, this vase perfectly blends echoes of ancient China with the luxury of late Second Empire Parisian decorative art.

Inspired by archaic Chinese ritual vases, it features a flared neck, a bulging body, and a circular base. Two superb, richly chiseled loop handles terminate in the heads of mythological dragons clinging to the neck of the vessel.

The neck and central section are adorned with geometric bands featuring traditional motifs and a crashing wave pattern.

The vase retains its rich, multi-hued original workshop patina. Traces of the original gilding shine through beneath a deep, dark patina.

The signature is clearly engraved on the upper lip: “Maison Marnyhac, 1 Rue de la Paix, Paris.”

Operating under the name Société des Marbres et Bronzes Artistiques de Paris, Maison Marnyhac, led by Charles de Marnyhac, was one of the most prominent houses specialising in fine curiosities and artistic bronzes of the late 19th century. Located at the ultra-exclusive address of 1 Rue de la Paix in Paris, it competed directly with the greatest names of the era, such as Ferdinand Barbedienne, to supply the European aristocracy and upper middle class.

Marnyhac particularly distinguished itself in the Japonisme and Chinoiserie movements by producing the creations of the era’s leading ornamental artists, such as the famous Édouard Lièvre. The technical virtuosity of its castings and the exceptional quality of its engraving earned the firm a medal at the 1878 Paris Exposition Universelle. Pieces bearing the engraved signature of the Rue de la Paix are today particularly sought after by international collectors of 19th-century art objects.