Pair of glasses; France, c. 1900

Pair of goblets; France, c. 1900
Patinated bronze; Belgian black marble; gilded bronze
Measurements: 33 x 16 x 14 cm.

Pair of patinated bronze cups or cassolettes, with gilded bronze mounts and a base of Belgian black marble, made in the style of Clodion, probably from the early 20th century. The body, with the profile of a classic goblet on a balustrade foot, features two bronze handles in the shape of a vegetal volute, decorated with garlands of leaves and fruit, and a circular cartouche on the front with a relief scene of cherubs, in the 18th-century style. The lid is crowned with a seated child figure in the round, with arms raised above the head holding a floral garland. The ensemble rests on a truncated conical base of Belgian black marble, encircled by a gilded bronze band, and four small feet, also gilded, with a vegetal design.

The composition of intertwined cherubs in graceful and spontaneous poses, so characteristic of these goblets, refers directly to the repertoire of Claude Michel, known as Clodion (1738–1814), a French sculptor of the Louis XVI period celebrated for his groups of nymphs, satyrs, and putti in terracotta, whose carefree and sensual style was constantly reinterpreted by 19th- and 20th-century French bronze casters, especially in ceremonial pieces such as this one, intended to evoke the decorative refinement of the Ancien Régime.