Antique Tall Silvery-Green Painted French Wine Hotte, Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Wine hottes were used during the 19th and early 20th centuries for collecting grapes at French vineyards. The vineyard employee would attach the hotte to his/her back (see the last d...

Antique copper pieces are highly sought-after, as they are a rare blend of history, function, and artisan crafting. A beautiful example of such a...

This fantastic faience jardiniere and pedestal were hand-painted in Boulogne, France (formally “Boulogne-sur-Mer”) in the late 1800’s. The vibrant set features heraldic displays set among foliate and floral illustrations. Both the pedestal and the jardiniere have white backgrounds festooned with green leaves and blue, yellow, orange, and purple flowers. The opening of the jardiniere has asymmetrical edges dotted by small piercings, with flowering vines painted along the inner rim. Exquisite handles, comprised of curled leaves and C-scrolls, are affixed to the sides of the lobed body. Numerous painted motifs grace the area between the handles, including drapery, scrolls, and floral baskets hanging from an arabesque border. Equally impressive décor can be seen on the tetrapartite stand with a molded top. Each layer of the molding has a different color scheme, ranging from yellow with volute embellishments to solid green. The neck of the stand has been adorned with floral displays above multi-colored scrolls, shells, and scalloped leaves. In the center of each scalloped leaf is a distinct heraldic shield: on one side is a French style shield representing the city of Boulogne, with a swan that symbolizes perfection. On the opposite side is coat of arms topped by a closed crown, emblazoned with a five-fold cross over three roundels, which is the coat of arms for Godfrey of Bouillon, the first ruler of Jerusalem, who was born in Boulogne. Beneath the coat of arms are a pair of scrolled feet adorned with scalloped leaves and scrolls. There are two more feet to the sides that have pierced elements with floral vines beneath. Our 19th century hand-painted faience jardiniere on pedestal...

A beautiful example of a period Louis XVI chaudron, or cauldron, the copper has been decorated with a metalworking technique known as repousse, where low relief motifs are hammered from the reverse side. Many motifs from Louis XVI were inspired by ancient civilizations (Egypt, Rome, Greece, etc.), such as the mascarons and cartouches seen on the sides of this chaudron. There are two distinct mythological scenes on opposite sides, set in between a pair of twisted loop handles emanating from the mouth of a heavily bearded mascaron with a tied bow in his hair. One image depicts Pegasus rearing up as a man with a sword...