Goblet Mainly Made Of Onyx And Gilded Bronze Attributed To The Compagnie Des Marb

An exceptional bowl on a pedestal from the Napoleon III period (Second Empire, late 19th century), attributed to the prestigious Compagnie des Marbres et Onyx d'Algérie (founded by Alphonse Pallu).

Materials: Circular bowl made of translucent Algerian onyx with honey- and cream-colored hues, mounted on a very finely chiseled and gilded bronze base (original gilding in fine condition).

Base & Decoration:

Tripod base adorned with winged female mascarons draped in ancient-style garments and wearing pearl necklaces.

Lion’s paw/claw feet resting on circular glides.

Cylindrical onyx shafts with bronze foliage scrollwork.

The Algerian Marble and Onyx Company (or Algerian Marble and Onyx Society) was founded in the 1850s by the Pallu family (notably Alphonse and Étienne Pallu) to mine the red and banded onyx quarries at Tekbalet, near Tlemcen in Algeria.

Rediscovery and Origins

• Rediscovery (1848): Algerian onyx, mined during the Roman era and later forgotten, was rediscovered around 1848 by the marble craftsman Jean-Baptiste Del Monte during excavations.
• Acquisition of the Quarries (1855): The French firm Alphonse Pallu & Cie purchased the rich deposits at Tekbalet, giving rise to the mining company.
  
  

• Innovative Collaboration: The company specialized in high-end luxury by combining Algerian onyx with chiseled bronze, and sometimes with champlevé enamel.
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  Adrian Alan +1
• Renowned Artists: It collaborated with leading 19th-century sculptors such as Eugène Cornu (who became artistic director), Charles Cordier, and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse.
• World’s Fairs: Its monumental works (vases, fireplaces, furniture) were a huge success and won a gold medal at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair, then shone at the World’s Fairs in London, Philadelphia, and Paris (1878).