Gardener; France, 20th century.

Planter; France, twentieth century.
Silver metal with gilded bronze applications on marble base.
It shows wear.
Measurements: 84 x 52 cm.
The represented jardinière is a French ornamental piece, made in the 20th century, that combines the elegance of the noble materials with an elaborated decorative elaboration of historicist inspiration. It is a structure composed of a cup of generous proportions, executed in silver-plated metal, to which sumptuous gilded bronze applications are incorporated. These applications, among which lion's head masks and friezes of vegetal motifs in high relief stand out, give the piece a marked symbolic and decorative elegance.
The cup stands on a metal support with three stylized legs, joined by a central structure of openwork design, which combines rockery motifs, scrolls and geometric elements of neo-Gothic and neo-Renaissance tradition. This ornamental framework is reinforced by the occasional inclusion of golden details that provide a rich and balanced visual contrast with the dominant silver surface.
The piece rests on a tri-lobed black marble base, which provides stability and a visual effect of restrained monumentality. The use of this stone material is reminiscent of the bourgeois taste for sumptuousness and durability typical of early 20th century French decorative furniture.