Centerpiece. France, Napoleon III, ca.1890.

Centerpiece. France, Napoleon III, ca.1890.
In bronze and marble.
Measurements: 23 x 28 x 32 cm.

Sumptuous centerpiece that testifies to the taste for luxury of the French Second Empire style. This work is a testimony of the eclecticism and opulence that characterized the interior decoration of the French high society of the time.

The vessel, in pink marble and beautiful marbling, is probably "Breccia Nuvolata Rosa". The elaborate mount is made of bronze, which presents a refined chiseled work. On both sides of the vessel, magnificent ornamental handles stand out. Each handle is adorned with elaborately sculpted female masks that seem to emerge from foliage or acanthus scrolls. The piece exhibits a marked neo-Renaissance character with neo-baroque elements, styles that were profoundly reinterpreted and magnified during the Second Empire. It stands on legs ending in tawny claws, a classical motif that confers solidity and a connection to antiquity.

This object was intended to be a decorative focal point in living rooms, dining rooms or grand foyers of aristocratic residences. Its meticulous workmanship and the richness of its materials make it a paradigmatic example of the sumptuary art of Napoleon III's France, an era that valued high quality craftsmanship and ostentation in decoration.