La Tour Camoufle Covered vase - Paire de vases en porphyre d'egypte

Details

Description

Exceptional and very rare pair of Egyptian porphyry vases, of pedestal shape, sculpted in the 18th century, with a 19th century gilded and carved bronze mounting. The lid is surmounted by a gilded bronze representing foliage and flowers. The body of the vases is decorated with a leafy frieze with an openwork gallery. The loops follow the same ornamental vocabulary. The set rests on a gilt bronze base. The red porphyry material was the noblest of the ancient Egyptian temples and tombs dedicated to the Pharaohs. With its very hard rock, it was regarded by the ancients as to last forever. From the 5th century, the only known Egyptian deposit (from Jebel Dokan) was exhausted and the only way to recover the material was to re-use and re-shape parts "taken" from Egyptian buildings. Hence its extreme rarity. At the end of the eighteenth century deposits appeared in Sweden and Russia whose color and texture were different to the porphyry in Egypt. It was thanks to a donation from the Czar of Russia, that the emperor's tomb at Les Invalides was built. It goes without saying that this material was highly sought after. XVIIIth century sculpted Egyptian Porphyry XIXth century ormolu mounting

Features

• Country : FRANCE
• Materials : Porphyry, Ormolu
• Style : Napoleon III
• Year of creation : 1880
• Manufacturer Ref. : OB59