PAIR OF MARBLE AND BRONZE VASES, NAPOLEON III

A pair of sea-green marble baluster-shaped vases with rich Louis XV-style gilt-bronze ornamentation, composed of a profusion of leafy branches adorned with flowers, seeds, and shells, unfurling across the body and forming the handles. Each vase rests on a pedestal edged with a gilt-bronze molding, chased with fluting and foliage, itself set upon a square, canted base encircled by a gilt-bronze band.

In the second half of the 19th century, the wealthy bourgeoisie at the court of Napoleon III dreamed of recapturing the splendor and elegance of the Ancien Régime. The influence of Empress Eugénie, who held Marie Antoinette in boundless admiration, was decisive in this new fashion. The newly wealthy industrialists capitalized on this opportune trend, which allowed them to surround themselves with aristocratic décor modeled on that of the previous century. In the heart of the 19th century, between 1852 and 1870, during the reign of Napoleon III and well beyond, these "style" furniture pieces and objets d'art appeared, perfect replicas of those created in the 18th century.