Henri Huppe

HENRI HUPPE (1855-1904).
Pitcher "Moises", ca. 1900.
Silver-plated pewter.
Signed on one side.
Marks on the back.
Bibliography: Philippe DAHHAN, Étains 1900, 200 Sculpteurs de la Belle Époque, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2000, reproduced p. 196, fig. 561, right.
Weight: 1,960 g.
Measurements: 35 x 15 x 15 cm.

This Art Nouveau pewter jug (c. 1900), designed by sculptor Henri Huppe, features a bas-relief decoration of complex iconography. The piece displays the face of a satyr in the mouth. The lower part, symbolizing the waters of the Nile River, depicts the scene of Moses in his cradle among the reeds, surrounded by naiads. The side handle is modeled as a young woman holding a shell in her hand. The jar is signed.

The sculptor Henri Huppe (active between 1870 and 1880) achieved public recognition after participating in the prestigious Paris Salon of 1874. This Salon, which exhibited works approved by the Royal Academy and later by the Academy of Fine Arts, was the central artistic event in Paris until 1880.