Name: Large Antique Pair French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes C1880.
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1110535
Price: 2500 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Dragoncharger Antiques

Description

Beautiful and large antique pair of French Louis XVI ormolu gilt bronze cassolettes in the Neo-Grecian style. Circa 1880. Numbered and stamped Hebert (*Pierre-Eugène-Émile Hébert (1823 – 1893) to underside of bases.

The large and superbly proportioned vase bodies with classical female bust (Medussa) on both faces. Pierced girdles united by beaded, leafy foliage and tasselled garlands decorating the vase throughout. Finials terminating with bronze flame, with fixed lid, similarly pierced and decorated. Lion figure heads in patina bronze to four quadrants of the stem. Handles in bronze repeating the main decoration, each with scrolls and finely sculptured with putti / cupid face. The whole assembly with fixing rod.

Condition: Beautifully burnished, highest quality, and near perfect condition (some v minor rubbing. Heavy at 6Kg each (some photographic distortion to circular field).

Height = 47cm (measured to top of finial); Diameter = 25cm (measured across handles).

*Pierre-Eugène-Émile Hébert (1823 – 1893) was a French sculptor. As the son of sculptor Pierre Hébert, he studied with his father and Jean-Jacques Feuchère (1807–1852). Émile Hébert participated in the Salon de Paris and the Exposition Universelle (1855). He was awarded a Second Class Medal in 1872. Émile Hébert was one of the few sculptors to collaborate with the renowned bronze fondeur Georges Servant, resulting in pieces in the Neo-Grecian and Egyptian Revival styles.

Physical Dimensions

Height

47cm (18.50")

Width

25cm (9.84")

Depth

25cm (9.84")

Declaration

Dragoncharger Antiques has dated these French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1110535

Dealers Internal Reference

D:022222

Description

The large and superbly proportioned vase bodies with classical female bust (Medussa) on both faces.

“

Pierced girdles united by beaded, leafy foliage and tasselled garlands decorating the vase throughout.

Dragoncharger Antiques

Finials terminating with bronze flame, with fixed lid, similarly pierced and decorated. Lion figure heads in patina bronze to four quadrants of the stem. Handles in bronze repeating the main decoration, each with scrolls and finely sculptured with putti / cupid face. The whole assembly with fixing rod.

fig 1. A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. — fig 1. Large Antique Pair French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes C1880.

Condition: Beautifully burnished, highest quality, and near perfect condition (some v minor rubbing. Heavy at 6Kg each (some photographic distortion to circular field).

Height = 47cm (measured to top of finial); Diameter = 25cm (measured across handles).

fig 2. A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. — fig 2. Large Antique Pair French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes C1880.

Pierre-Eugène-Émile Hébert (1823 – 1893) was a French sculptor. As the son of sculptor Pierre Hébert, he studied with his father and Jean-Jacques Feuchère (1807–1852). Émile Hébert participated in the Salon de Paris and the Exposition Universelle (1855). He was awarded a Second Class Medal in 1872. Émile Hébert was one of the few sculptors to collaborate with the renowned bronze fondeur Georges Servant, resulting in pieces in the Neo-Grecian and Egyptian Revival styles.

Physical Dimensions

Height

47cm (18.50")

Width

25cm (9.84")

Depth

25cm (9.84")

Date of Manufacture

Dragoncharger Antiques has dated these French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes to the 19th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Ref

SA1110535

Dealers Internal Ref

D:022222

About the Dealer

Dragoncharger Antiques

Sellingantiques verified Since Aug 2024

Specialising in early japanese cloisonne, edo enamel artisan period.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Dragoncharger Antiques Profile Page

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A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials.

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Archive I

Large Antique Pair French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes C1880.

Archive II

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View II

Archive III

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View III

Archive IV

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View IV

Archive V

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View V

Archive VI

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View VI

Archive VII

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View VII

Archive VIII

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View VIII

Archive IX

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View IX

Archive X

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View X

Archive XI

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View XI

Archive XII

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View XII

Archive XIII

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View XIII

Archive XIV

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View XIV

Archive XV

A pair of 19th-century French gilt bronze cassolettes featuring mask reliefs, pierced necks, twin scroll handles, and flame finials. View XV

Cassolettes originated in 18th-century France as decorative vessels designed to burn perfumed pastilles or incense. Over time, particularly during the 19th century, they became prominent ornamental garnitures for fireplace mantels and sideboards, often featuring reversible tops that could serve as candleholders.

High-quality French cassolettes were cast in solid bronze and finished with mercury gilding, a technique known as ormolu. Artisans frequently combined bright gilt surfaces with contrasting dark patinated bronze elements for structural details like handles, bases, and finials.

Authentic 19th-century ormolu features crisp, hand-chased details in the metal casting and subtle, natural wear to the gilded layer. Construction typically involves central threaded iron rods securing the individual cast bronze components together.

Displaying a pair of ornate cassolettes symmetrically on a sleek console table, fireplace mantelpiece, or marble sideboard creates a balanced focal point. The metallic finish adds warmth and classical proportion when contrasted against modern, neutral backdrops.

Clean gilt bronze strictly by dusting with a soft, dry microfibre cloth or a fine camel-hair brush. Avoid using liquid polishes, commercial chemical cleaners, or water, as moisture and abrasives can strip the original mercury gilding and accelerate oxidation.

Dragoncharger Antiques

Large Antique Pair French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes C1880.

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Dragoncharger Antiques

Large Antique Pair French Ormolu Bronze Cassolettes C1880.

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Strictly Vetted Dealers

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FAQs

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