| Large Kangxi vase in exceptional Louis XVI goût
grec bronze doré mounts with original gilding. The
swelling Chinese porcelain vase (probably cut) is decorated with well painted
old cherry or peach trees with vivid salmon-colored blossoms, bamboo, flowers
and butterflies in a rocky landscape painted in an unusual all-over design. The
square ormoulu plinth, with heavily chased rectangular reserves supports an
incurvated pedestal composed of alternating plain lozenges and stylized laurel
leaves headed by a rounded ring. A large ormoulu cup, decorated with engraved
and chased reserves supports the vase from the bottom. The rim is decorated
with burnished and matte tabs. Elaborately chased and beautifully modeled lion
masks, each biting a ring in its square-toothed muzzle, serve as handles.
Several of the mounts are seemingly identical to those on an ormoulu mounted
Ming dynasty garden seat of similar scale which was nº 160 in the duc d’Aumont
sale (1782) and is now at Versailles. They share a nearly identical incurvated
pedestal (differing at the tops since the Versailles porcelain has a flat
base), an identically chased square plinth, and rim. Both have similarly
modeled, but differing lion masks holding rings (of differing form) in their
muzzles as important decorative elements. Both pieces are probably by the same
bronzier, commissioned by a marchand-mercier who had access to very fine and
unusual Chinese porcelain and an important clientele. The d’Aumont vase baril was bought for Louis XVI and
is exhibited at Versailles. It was recently shown in the exhibition La Chine
à Versailles: Art et Diplomatie au XVIIIe Siècle (May-October 2014.)
Very similar lion masks are found on the famous “vases Dulac” and on the goût grec clock that sat on what was
essentially the first piece of Louis XVI furniture, the desk made for Lalive de
Jully, now at Chantilly; both of these models’ lions are similarly formed,
similarly chased and have the same odd square teeth as on the Kangxi vase. All
the pieces share a very similarly formed pedestal and other compositional
elements. The clock is known to have been made by the bronzier Robert Osmond.
All these pieces therefore could be attributed to this bronzier probably
through the marchand-mercier Jean Dulac. [Vase repaired.]
Provenance:
Claude-Pierre-Maximilien Radix de Sainte-Foy (1736-1810),
his sale in Paris, April 22, 1782; lot 134. (490 livres to Langlier.) A drawing
attributed Saint-Aubin exists in the margin of a catalogue recently discovered
in Paris (Christie’s Paris, April 22, 2016. Lot 46)
Jacques Langlier (or Lenglier) (1730?-1814), his sale in
Paris, April 24, 1786; lot 192, (400 livres to Dulac.)
Collection of Antoine-Charles Dulac (1729-1811),
marchand-mercier and dealer in Paris.
The porcelain Kangxi (1662-1722)
The ormoulu French, 18th century
The vase also was possibly in the collection of Jean de Jullienne (1686-1766)
who was one of the most important collectors of his time. His collection was
dispersed in two auctions held in 1767. The sale, important enough to be the
only sale ever held in the Louvre, was one of the great artistic events of the
period. The first sale was of his drawings, paintings and sculpture – many of
which are in now the most important museums in the world; the second was of his
porcelains, lacquers and furniture.
Lot 1461 is described as follows: [Translation] “A large vase of Chinese
porcelain of an agreeable nature, as much by its form, & the beautiful
varied coloration of the leafage (bocages) as by the composition of its
bronze mounts in the antique taste; it measures 19 pouces in height by
17 pouces in diameter.” It sold for the price of 450 livres to the
famous dealer Julliot. “Antique taste” refers to the goût grec style,
the earliest manifestation of the neoclassical style in France. The large size
and unusual proportions correspond almost exactly to the present vase, as does
the description of the unusual decoration. (The difference in width [2 pouces] in
the 18th century catalogues could be accounted for if the lion masks were not
added to the width of the porcelain in the later catalogues.) Also, the prices
in the three sales are quite similar. Since the composition of the bronzes is
not described, this provenance cannot be proven at present.
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