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TAPESTRY, ALEXANDRE THE GREAT WOUNDED IN THE THIGH AT THE BATTLE OF IS...

Tapestry, Alexander the Great wounded at the Battle of Issus. Flemish school, after Jacob Jordaens, attributed to the workshop of Jan Leyniers, ca. 1650. Large tapestry with a wide frame decorated with a plant composition which, on the sides, is partially replaced by a panoply of weapons (helmet, shields, etc.) and enhanced by some putti or half-naked children towards the corners; in the centre of the upper part there is a cartouche with a text in Latin and capital letters ("alexanderdarium persequens inter dimicantes in femore levit er mucrone perstrinc itur"; Alexander, pursuing Darius among the combatants, is slightly wounded in the thigh by a sword). The central scene, figurative, shows a battle, with the two protagonists in the centre (Alexander the Great highlighted by a red cape, thoracata armour following classical models and his posture), surrounded by a series of characters, some dressed in tunics, others in armour and others half-naked. This work is part of a series known as the “Historia de Alexander the Great”, designed by Jacob Jordaens in the 1630s. This scene is said to represent the Battle of Issus, dated 333 BC, which is considered one of the most significant episodes in the emperor’s life. Two preparatory drawings from this period have been preserved, one at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and the other at the Dahlem in Berlin. This series follows the “Life of Charlemagne” (based on designs by Jacob Jordaens and produced in the same years). Both stories, considered important moral examples for rulers, were influential for centuries. There are known to be two tapestries with this same theme, both sold at two prestigious auction houses, another one in the British Royal Collection, there are five tapestries from this same series in the Palazzo Chigi in Rome (Italy) signed by Leyniers, four in the Cathedral of Toledo (Spain) by another weaver, and one by Jacob II Guebels which is in the Palazzo Marino in Milan (Italy). Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678) was a prominent Antwerp painter, also highly regarded for his tapestry designs. He was active between 1630 and 1670, and extended the innovations brought to this luxury art by Rubens (namely, the introduction of large, colourful, dramatic and dynamic groups of figures with a marked attention to design). Jordaens brought a sense of "baroque" drama, with chiaroscuro and balance of figures with their settings, whether natural or architectural.

· Size: 402x612 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1234
LOUIS XV CHANDELIER. BRONZE, GLASS. FRANCE, 19TH CENTURY.

Chandelier or ceiling lamp, Louis XVI style. Bronze, glass. France, 19th century. A ceiling lamp made of gilded bronze with transparent glass elements, with sixteen lights in total. Starting from the top, there is a small circular piece decorated in relief, from which emerges an axis that opens with four arms, which leave the center free for a series of faceted glass pieces (which function as a central visual axis) and go downwards (note the bronze band with a string of pearls), ending in a cup. These four arms divide at the bottom, giving rise to plant forms, scrolls and architectural details. Vase-shaped lighters have been placed on the main arms, from which glass droplets with pearls hang; the secondary arms are finished off with bronze lighters with plant elements (“cups” on bronze plates, almost resembling a flower emerging from leaves), which have glass saucers, some almost flat and others deeper. It is in this lower area where the hanging elements are concentrated in greater abundance: transparent glass teardrops, with pearls (sometimes in pairs, sometimes just one), and others in the shape of a flower. From the central point hangs a disk topped with a faceted sphere. Stylistically, the piece shows clear influences from 18th century French Rococo: rocailles, contrasting curves and counter-curves, vegetal elements with marked movement, etc. This influence is common in 19th century works, being called “Louis XV style”. It is also worth highlighting the similarity of the glass elements of the lamp with works by the Société Baccarat, a company founded with the permission of Louis XV in 1764 and which continues to operate today, specialising in high quality glass. It was common throughout the 19th century and part of the 20th century for prominent Parisian bronze makers to use Baccarat beads in their work (François Linke, E. Colin & Cie, etc.).

· Size: 80x80x132 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1129
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ORMOLU CHANDELIER. POSSIBLY FRANCE, NAPOLEON III, 19TH CENTURY.

Lamp or chandelier. Gilt bronze. Possibly France, Napoleon III, 19th century. Gilt-bronze ceiling lamp featuring a central axis enhanced by three volute structures that run from the leafy crest at the top to the lower body, featuring a series of crowned female grotesques on architectural moldings with volutes. The radiant arms are arranged in tiers and decorated with plant and architectural elements, ending in saucers that give rise to garlanded lighters and classicist shapes and decorations, as is the case throughout the piece. Stylistically, the influence of models taken from Ancient Greece and Imperial Rome is clear, as is common in 19th-century neoclassical works. Note the laurel wreaths, volutes, vegetal scrolls, combinations with gadroon motifs, etc. The 19th-century taste can be seen, above all, in the aforementioned female grotesques, with their crowns and pearl necklaces from which hang a Greek cross. The quality of the lamp is remarkable, both in the bronze and the gilding (most likely mercury) and in its design. Compare, for example, with works by the renowned French firm Maison Mottheau et Fils, prized above all for its lamps (also for supplying high-quality bronzes to prominent cabinetmakers) and famous throughout the 19th century. Or with works by Henri Vian (1860-1905), another master highly regarded for his gilded bronzes. Weight: 85 kg

· Size: 110x110x150 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1235
LOW TABLE. WALNUT, WROUGHT IRON. SPAIN, 17TH CENTURY.

Table with fork braces. Walnut wood, wrought iron. Spain, 17th century. Table made of carved and turned walnut wood with four A-shaped legs, two wrought iron hairpin fasteners and drawers on both fronts (four in total) decorated with plant-themed carvings. The legs have a type of turning known as “lentil”, with different types of discs depending on their width, creating a symmetrical composition, and placed above and below a simple cylindrical heel. The jambs have been carved with simplified plant shapes, and the fasteners have decoration of discs and balustrade shapes. The drawers are interspersed with “S”-shaped protruding pieces and have oval handles, and the sides have simple geometric carvings. Compare, for example, the walnut table with disc legs dating from the 17th century that is preserved in the collections of the former Municipal Museum of Madrid; with the Inquisition buffet in the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid (in details such as the arrangement of the drawers); or with another walnut and pine platform table with carved drawers and lenticular turned legs from the same museum, dating from the 17th century; a Castilian buffet table from the 17th century from the Cervantes Birthplace Museum (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid).

· Size: 83x118x73 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF0619
ITALIAN STYLE “BARGUEÑO”, TORTOISESHELL AND WOOD, 18TH CENTURY.

Italian style chest of drawers, 18th century. Carey, wood and gilded bronze. An open-plan writing desk made of wood, with the central part pushed forward and highlighted by a double chapel of architectural composition. Each of the sides has five drawers with the front decorated with tortoiseshell and an elaborate gilt bronze lock shield (two rampant lions facing each other, placed on a garland and with a crowned shield between them, in which the key hole is located). The centre of the front has two levels: the lower one has four columns with entasis, two on each side and joined by an entablature and a top finial in dark wood, and a series of gilt metal elements in the centre among which stands out, sheltered under a semicircular arch, the figure of Hercules fighting Cacus (the giant who terrorised the Palatine Hill before the founding of Rome); the upper one has mouldings forming recesses, with an important heraldic shield in the centre, all enhanced with volutes on the sides, and different elements in gilt metal, of classicist inspiration. The general layout of the furniture follows a model that was very widespread and valued in 17th century Europe, of which the best examples have generally been those of Italian manufacture, and which continued into the 18th century without breaking the compositional clarity that is displayed in this front, but rather changing slight decorative details and elements in the area of the central chapel, above all. The practice of using tortoiseshell plates in furniture re-emerged in Europe during the 17th century. The high price and great demand for furniture made from sea turtle shell are explained by the scarcity of the material, which had to be imported (usually from Central America) and the fact that its production required highly specialized labor. As is normal for this type of furniture, also called “waste bins” because they contain important documents, tortoiseshell plates were often highlighted with gilded metal decorations, with the use of bronze being very common for this type of furniture.

· Size: 69x137x160 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z6811
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CABINET. TORTOISESHELL, BRONZE, WOOD, IRON. ITALY, 17TH CENTURY; TABLE...

Bargueño. Carey, bronze, wood, iron. Italy, 17th century; back table. An open-faced desk made of wood and finished in tortoiseshell, which has a division into three areas at the front. The side areas have four drawers each (each with two tortoiseshell-shaped slots highlighted with a metal band flanking each lock shield), gilded details with plant elements and Solomonic columns at the outer ends on a base and finished off with curved and straight architectural elements. The central part, called the chapel, is presented forward and has a prominent architectural composition with Solomonic columns and elements in gilded bronze. The piece of furniture is finished off with an openwork band under architectural elements and is situated on legs holding spheres. The buffet or bargueñera table that supports and highlights it, of a later date, has turned legs joined by a chambrana and two wrought iron fasteners. The general layout of the piece of furniture follows models that were known and used in cabinetmaking throughout Europe throughout the 17th century, of which the best examples are considered to be of Italian origin, like the present one. Thus, its decorative elements belong to the same tradition: the legs carved in the shape of a bird's claw synthesized on a ball are very typical of the period; the sides are flatter and simpler (geometric marquetry); etc. However, the present example stands out from the usual in its contemporaries due to the architectural elements of the front and the ribbed pieces of the drawers already mentioned and which are totally different from what can be found in the wastepaper baskets of this type linked to Antwerp. Compare the present example with the one preserved in the Museo Nacional de Cerámica y Artes Sumptuarias González Martí (Valencia) which does not have the elements of the drawers already mentioned.

· Size: Bargueño 146x50x100 cms Mesa 153x52x85 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZE365
THREE DOOR LOUIS XV STYLE GLASS CABINET , MAHOGANY WOOD, 19TH CENTURY.

Louis XV style mahogany display cabinet, 19th century. Three-door display cabinet with glass shelves resting on cabriole legs with a scroll facing outwards and on a stopper. The doors lock and have panels with paintings and mouldings combined with frieze in a lighter wood. The entire surface of the cabinet is decorated with plant motifs, and an angel's head tops the central body of the cabinet, which is wider and higher than the sides. The plant elements that decorate the entire surface of the display case, focusing on the upper and lower ends, respond to the characteristics of the Rococo style. The curved shapes of these rocailles stand out, and extend into the doors of the cabinet to give it movement, combining asymmetrical elements with symmetrical ones. The only decorative fittings are the lock shields on the three doors and the hinges, made of gilded metal. Although the usual combination of decorative elements in bronze is common in French furniture, it is not particularly unusual to find examples in which the only decoration is carved wood and some frisage work. Here, however, a perfect union between structure and decoration can be appreciated. The painted scenes decorating the side doors show children and a harp on one and a woman with a Cupid on the other. Technically, they are reminiscent of the panels made with the so-called “Vernis Martin” that was often applied to furniture at the time. They show inconsequential themes, appropriate for interior decoration and which perfectly fulfilled their role of providing delicacy and colour to the furniture, as well as being part of the Gallant Painting, characteristic of the Rococo. All the decorative elements of the furniture have been made in the Rococo style, also known as Louis XV (1710-1774) because it was during his government that these forms were adopted in France. In the 19th century, as occurred with other pieces, numerous pieces were made taking inspiration from what was created in the 18th century and adding a series of peculiarities typical of the period such as, in this case, the abundance of decorative mouldings with rocailles and the striking movement of the lines that mark the lower and upper areas of the display case.

· Size: 250x65x292 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z3037
SPANISH WALNUT TABLE 17TH CENTURY

17th century lyre leg table. Walnut wood, with wrought iron fasteners and a single-piece board. Baroque style lyre-leg table, made entirely of walnut wood, with carved profile legs and a rectangular, smooth-profile top made from a single piece. The legs have a mixtilinear cut, based on recesses and projections of great dynamism and decorative sense, chiaroscuro even despite not being carved, which speak to us of the taste typical of Baroque Europe. Thus, we see complex lines that combine simple curves, edges and steps, creating lively shapes that are at the same time regular and symmetrical, in the style typical of Baroque classicism. The legs are joined to the top by means of curved iron fasteners, typical of this typology. Lyre-leg tables originated in the Spain of Charles II, during the second half of the 17th century. The simplest ones have a simple cut in the side legs, and are even completely carved in the models with peripheral centres. The fact that the top is left plain, without decoration, is due to the fact that the tables were covered with rich fabrics, which fell, practically hiding the entire table. Thus, in less wealthy houses, which could not afford to cover the tables in luxury, the decoration had to focus on the legs, and hence they were carved. Inspired by the tables of classical antiquity (made of marble and with cross supports), they have two side supports that can be dismantled to transport the piece of furniture, and which can have a lyre or vase profile.

· Size: 192x102x84 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z3070
PAIR OF GILTWOOD MIRRORS. ROCOCO, 18TH CENTURY.

Pair of cornucopias. Carved and gilded wood and porcelain. 18th century. Pair of cornucopias with mirrors, practically identical (except for details on the leaves of the frames), made of carved and gilded wood. Inside, the main mirror has mouldings that draw curves and straight areas, scrolls and other elements. The elaborate decoration of the wall mirrors starts with grotesques at the bottom, from which plant elements emerge that extend, accompanied by hangings, towards the top on the sides, with openwork details. Above, the tops have two circular spaces, flanked by birds perched with their wings partly extended, and surrounded by elaborate frames that, like the rest of the pieces, have architectural elements (scrolls, plain oval mirrors...), plant elements and shapes reminiscent of Rococo rocailles. Clearly, the examples belong to the Rococo style, even taking into account the slight asymmetry of the decorative motifs and the slight difference between the two examples. It is possible to find similarities in the design of these cornucopias with different engravings and works by Matthias Lock (London, ca. 1710-ca. 1765). Compare with engravings from the work “A New Book of Ornaments with Twelve Leaves Consisting of Chimneys, Sconces, Tables, Spandle Panels, Spring Clock Cases, Stands, a Chandelier and Girandole, etc.” (Henry Copland and Matthias Lock; London, 1752), with examples preserved in the Metropolitan Museum of New York, drawings from the Victoria & Albert Museum of London, etc. Matthias Lock was the first to publish Rococo designs in England, and is also considered the first to master the Rococo style and include it in his works and designs. Little else is known about his life: he was a disciple of Thomas Chippendale and Adams, he may have worked with Henry Copeland and his work ranged from the most elaborate Rococo to the most harmonious Classicism. The small porcelain plates on the top show a pheasant on a rock among chrysanthemums and other flowers, in a common composition in this type of object, made in China for export to Europe and, therefore, without having given meaning to any of the animals or plants (the golden pheasant was a symbol of the Emperor, and the one on this plate does not have yellow in its plumage). Chinese porcelain was already known in Europe in the 15th century, but its commercial boom occurred from the 16th century, with the well-known pieces in Blue and White so valued that they even inspired the local ceramics of the different kingdoms. As for the so-called "Pink Family" due to the predominance of this tone in its enamel, it was born with the introduction of this colour in China at the beginning of the 18th century by the Jesuits and its production continued until the 19th century. Furthermore, it became so highly valued that it displaced the Green Family at European courts at times, with works from the reigns of the Yongzheng (1678-1735) and Qianlong (1711-1799) Emperors being the most abundant and highly prized and sought after for their high quality. Stylistically, these two plates inserted into the mirrors are very similar to works from the Rose Family made at the end of the reign of the Yongzheng Emperor or at the beginning of the Qianlong Emperor at Kingdezhen (Jiangxi, Republic of China) around 1735. In fact, there are some plates in private collections with pheasants in the same position and on a stone practically identical to that of these two examples. Note that the decorated border of the same can be seen, almost entirely hidden by the gilded wood.

· Size: 100x68x12 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z6638
CHANDELIER. GLASS, BRONZE. LATE 19TH CENTURY.

Baccarat ceiling lamp. Bronze, glass. France, late 19th century. 36-light, electrified, bronze chandelier with numerous clear glass beads. Numerous different arms emerge from the central axis (decorated with leafy discs from which more glass elements hang) and can be divided into general rows: from above, some curved ones are finished with glass stars and from others a string of beads starts which ends in the lower ones, giving a striking waterfall effect; towards the centre, another row curved upwards holds more beads); the lower arms, thicker, curved and decorated with leaves, emerge from a bronze sphere, form three levels both in height and depth and end in saucers with the supports that, originally, held the candles. Most of the glass beads are polygonal and flatter, and these are combined with elongated teardrops (some rectangular and faceted, others oval). The Société Baccarat (which still makes luxury glassware in this French city) began as a glass workshop founded by Louis-Joseph de Laval-Montmorency, with the permission of Louis XV of France, in 1764. They received their first official order from royalty in 1823, leading to a large number of requests addressed to members of leading European families, nobility, heads of state, etc. Around 1860, the company began signing its products with a registered trademark, usually on the base of the work, although it was also common for other bronzesmiths to use Baccarat glass for its reputation and quality.

· Size: 120x120x145 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZE248
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PAIR OF SOLOMONIC COLOMNS. GUILDED WOOD. SPAIN, CIRCA SECOND HALF 17TH...

Pair of Solomonic columns. Carved and gilded wood. Spain, towards the second half of the 17th century. Pair of columns made of carved and gilded wood composed of a simple base with smooth mouldings, a Solomonic shaft decorated with branches with vine leaves and bunches of grapes, and a composite capital. The Solomonic column was an element used in the history of Christian art from time to time, although it was a common architectural motif during the Baroque period and, above all, since Bernini used it in the canopy of St. Peter's in the Vatican (finished in 1633), from when it became popular throughout Europe. It soon reached Spain: there are examples in Andalusia from around 1639; in Madrid they can be seen from 1636 (it seems that it was used for the first time in the Church of Buen Suceso); and it spread rapidly throughout peninsular and colonial territories. Although there are examples decorated with flowers (normally in altarpieces of female cloistered convents) or with birds, the most common typology is the one that uses vine leaves and bunches of grapes as a decorative element along the Solomonic shaft, thus alluding to the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Compare, for example, the pair preserved in the Sorolla Museum in Madrid, dating from the 18th century; works by José Benito de Churriguera and his family (Churrigueresque); etc.

· Size: 36x36x234 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF0934
WARDROBE. 18TH CENTURY

Wardrobe from the first half of the 18th century. Oak and walnut woods. Wardrobe made of oak and walnut, decorated with profuse carving and moulding. With an architectural structure inspired by contemporary Baroque architecture, it is organised into two rows and three registers, and is finished at the top by a projecting cornice with a central sinuous pediment. The entire structure appears rigorously organised by regular straight lines, which emphasise the differentiation of each of the different parts of the structure, following a clearly classical criterion, typical of the Baroque even in its most ornamental aspects, according to which the decoration must always adapt to the structure, without ever going beyond it, so that the main lines of the latter are perfectly legible, as well as the relationship of proportion and balance of the parts between themselves and with respect to the whole. Following this idea, we see the front divided into two sections and three registers, and the latter are continued on the sides, with moulded recesses in this case, without the carving visible on the front, although highlighted by the work of volumes and light contrasts, typically baroque, achieved through the simple use of mouldings and steps. In the lower register we see two doors, each with its lock with a shield cut out with a double fleur-de-lis. Its design is organised around a central mixtilinear recess, typically baroque, carved on the inside with a rocaille crest that already tells us about the knowledge of the rococo, although in the furniture, both at a structural and ornamental level, the baroque language still dominates. The perimeter of recesses and projections of this central recess is repeated, with increasingly complex lines, drawn on the basis of mouldings very raised with respect to the background, which provide the contrast and chiaroscuro typical of baroque furniture. Furthermore, the central area is highlighted by very bulging carvings based on vegetal scrolls, scallops and rocaille crests. The middle register, still belonging to the lower body at a visual level, houses two drawers of the same size and design, which combine diamond-pointed recesses with gilded fittings decorated by chiseling. Finally, the upper body also has two doors, like the lower one with its locks, and in fact follows an ornamental scheme similar to that of the lower doors, although more developed and with a vertical design. Here we also see rocailles and vegetalized braces, combined with a profuse molding of dynamic lines, typically baroque. As a finishing touch, under the cornice and in the central area, there appears a stepped motif that is organized around the lines of two sinuous pediments, combined with floral and classical carved motifs.

· Size: 155x76x267 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z0740
PAIR OF MIRRORS. WOOD. SPANISH SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY.

Pair of mirrors. Carved and polychrome wood. Spanish School, 17th century. Pair of wall mirrors, each with a rectangular frame and a prominent frame made of carved, polychrome, and gilded wood. These elements are arranged symmetrically, divided into two areas: a thin band with leaves on the inside and a wider one on the outside, with scrolls, acanthus leaves, volutes on the outside, protrusions on the sides, a finial at the bottom, and a helmet-shaped crown, more heraldic than royal due to its details. This one has also been decorated with lines of pearls and an elaborate composition based on simplified plant motifs on a dark background, recalling the bluing common on this type of piece when they were made of metal and royal. One of the helmets faces right, the other left. This crest features a neck guard and a single-piece neck guard, a lowered visor ending in a point, a nape of the neck (which would have been used to accommodate a crest or crest), and, despite not having a wreath, its features are what separate it from royal closed helmets, helms, bascinet, and snouts. Compare, for example, with the Italian cuirassier helmet from around 1615–1620 held by the Metropolitan Museum in New York (inventory 2011.80). As for the mirror, it follows a common design for this type of work in the Spanish school during the Baroque period. Considering the differences (size, etc.), it can be compared with the early 18th-century mirror from the Guevara Palace in Lorca (Murcia, Spain). Also worth noting, due to the similar distribution of the decorative elements on the frames, is the 17th-century mirror with an eagle's head frame in the Prado Museum in Madrid (catalog number O000473), a smaller and simpler pair in the Cervantes Birthplace Museum (Alcalá de Henares, Madrid), etc.

· Size: 96x17x138 int 30x42 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1394
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LOUIS XVI STYLE GILT BRONZE AND MARQUETRY CENTER TABLE. FRANCE, 19TH C...

Louis XVI style table. France, 19th century. Parquet top. Mahogany, rosewood, gilt bronze. The legs, which retain their respective rollers, present a circular columnar shape, starting from a dado and ending in vase-like shapes highlighted with garlands, fine moldings, plant elements, and capitals similar to those of the classical Ionic order. The truncated cone-shaped profile of the legs closely follows the French Louis XVI models known as "pied à l'antique." From the dados of each two legs emerges a semicircular jamb, the two joined in the center by another dado, topped by a vase with profiles inspired by classical art. The waist of the table features semicircular shapes on the shorter sides and a rectangular projection on the longer ones; it is flanked by two gilt-bronze moldings and features a decoration of gilt-bronze plant elements on a green background, as well as dados reminiscent of classical triglyphs in the corners of the rectangular areas. The upper tabletop, which follows these same lines, displays a marquetry decoration drawing six-pointed stars thanks to a composition of geometric inlaid cubes. A drawer is hidden in one of the rectangular sides of the table. Neoclassical furniture, in France, appeared during the reign of Louis XV, from approximately the 1750s. It retains certain details of the French Transition style (approximately 1750–1774), such as its inspiration in Greco-Latin antiquity, the popularization of geometric marquetry, and the use of some curves. The Louis XVI style features classicizing scrolls, straight lines, classical architectural elements, clean, symmetrical forms, and a lack of movement. It was very common in the 19th century to use styles from before that century as inspiration for a range of creations. The table, which stands out both for the quality of its design and the materials used, can be compared to examples of such renowned cabinetmakers and firms as Holland and Sons, whose creations inspired numerous works, or those of Adam Weisweiler (France, c. 1750–after 1810), for example.

· Size: 118x70x76 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZA6718
BACCARAT SIGNED CHANDELIER. GLASS AND GILT BRONZE. FRANCE, 19TH CENTUR...

Baccarat signed chandelier. Glass and gilt bronze. 19th century.
Gilt bronze and transparent glass chandelier with eight lights. The upper part has a series of curved sticks from which hang some glass beads in various shapes (flower, tear). The central axis of the chandelier (made in metal and covered in glass with abundant curves) has a central piece in bronze and glass beads (very often seen in french chandeliers from around the middle of the 19th century and in Louis XVI style). From all the elements of the piece hang a large number of glass beads of various shapes (circular, flowers, tears, oval, etc.).
The Société Baccarat (which continues to manufacture luxury glassware in this French town) began as a glass workshop founded by Louis-Joseph de Laval-Montmorency, with the permission of Louis XV of France, in 1764. They received the first official order from the Royalty in 1823, giving rise to a huge number of petitions addressed to members of European royal families, nobility, heads of state, etc. Towards 1860, the company began to sign its products with a registered trademark, usually recorded in the base of the article, although it was also common for other broncists to use Baccarat glass for its fame and quality.
Measures: 65x65x120 cms.

· Size: 65x65x120 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF0004
”SECRETER “Á ABATTANT”. GILT BRONCE, MARQUETRY, PORCELAIN, CLOTH, MARB...

“Abattant” secretaire. Fine woods, marquetry, interior with drawers in rosewood and textile, gilded bronze and enamelled porcelain; marble top. Signed HYPPOLYTE-EDME PRETOT (Paris, 1812-1855). 19th century. Secretaire with a top in veined light marble and a rectangular base, with a curved base and rounded corners highlighted by a diamond marquetry and some applications in gilded metal reminiscent of classicism. The sides have a diamond-shaped decoration on the wood in the central area, separated by two gilded bronze mouldings that extend along the three fronts; in the upper part, the same compositional scheme is repeated. The front concentrates the decoration: a composition framed by feathering based on flowers and plant elements in a delicate marquetry for each of the drawers, which, on the small door, is highlighted by a bronze moulding and accompanied by an enamelled porcelain plate. This has two cupids on a celestial background, as well as a frame in this same metal. Opening this small door reveals a small desk with a fabric-covered top and four drawers flanking a central space, located under another rectangular space. The corners of the piece also feature classicist dolphins and grotesques of children with the lower half of their bodies transformed into plant elements and scrolls. The piece of furniture bears a signature linked to Hippolyte-Edme Pretot, a Parisian cabinetmaker who established himself in the Rue de l'Abbaye in 1836, moved to the Rue Saint-Germain in 1841 and, from 1846, to the Rue de Harlay. He showed some of his best work at the Exposition Nationale in France in 1849 and was awarded a medal at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. The present example can be compared with the lines of a Napoleon III cabinet in pietra dura, ebonised wood and gilded bronze, which has been dated to around 1850 and is kept in a private collection. These similarities can be appreciated by comparing the bronze elements of both pieces of furniture. Some works by the master, or attributed to him, can be seen in the Dayton Art Institute (United States), in the Musée des Arts Dècoratifs in Paris, in the Luxembourg Embassy in The Hague, in the collection of the National Heritage of Spain, etc.

· Size: 80x44x109 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z6849
LOUIS XVI STYLE DRESSER. GUÉRET FRÈRES, PARIS, FRANCE, 19TH CENTURY.

Louis XVI style dressing table. Woods, etc. Guéret Frères, Paris, France, 19th century. Marks on the back (stamping). Dressing table with a mirror topped with a crest and two gilt-bronze pine cones, flanked by two shelves on each side with railings, featuring a veined marble top (also present on the shelves) and a front with three drawers in the upper band, two doors in the center (shelves inside removable wooden trays toward the front), and four small drawers flanking them at the front, which lock with a key. On the sides of this lower area are two columns with a strong Classicist influence, enhanced with gilt-bronze elements. The piece stands on four legs. The back features prints related to the designer's work. In France, the Louis XVI style is considered a movement within Neoclassicism and spans from around 1760 to around 1789 (although works inspired by it would be created in the 19th century). It was succeeded by the Directoire style. It is characterized by its influences from Ancient Rome and Enlightenment thought. The firm known as Guéret Frères (Denis-Désiré and Onésime) was established in Paris around 1853 and from 1867 was known as Guéret Jeune et Cie., active until the 1880s. They exhibited their work at the International Expositions of 1855 (First Class Medal), 1867 and 1878, specialising in Louis XV and XVI style furniture but also highlighting works inspired by other antique styles. Their works are housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco (USA), etc.

· Size: 140x55,5x219 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1261
PSIQUÉ DRESSING MIRROR. MAHOGANY, BRONZE. 19TH CENTURY.

Dressing table mirror. Mahogany, gilded bronze, marble. 19th century. Full-length rectangular mirror of the type known as “psyché” (or derived from it) that has a marble base and two circular tables on the sides, these with a white marble top, a vase-shaped foot with disc mouldings and, on the top, imitation textiles with tassels. The mirror has a gold band separating it from the wood, and has been flanked by two columns with a spiral-shaped shaft decorated with plant motifs and classical capitals; the upper part has been enhanced with a moulding and a figurative composition of a winged lady on a chariot holding a torch, accompanied by child figures and a Cornucopia; the lower part has been enhanced with a symmetrical composition based on plant motifs. Stylistically, the Neoclassical influence of the decorative elements and the composition of the piece of furniture can be clearly seen, with the figure inspired by classical mythology on the upper part standing out (it is possible that it is the goddess Aurora or Eos, or Diana-Artemis, Selene, etc.). A close relationship can be found with examples from the French Empire period, both in this decoration and in the lines of the piece. Note, however, that these full-length mirrors were very common in European palaces, but it is not so common for them to be presented with two tables to support clothing items or candelabras, a detail that is enhanced by the present example. The fashion of the full-length mirror was introduced in Spain during the reign of Ferdinand VII. From the swinging psyche mirrors of the early 19th century, the full-length fixed mirrors were later adopted, adding supports (normally for lighting). Compare this with outstanding mirrors such as those preserved in the Museum of Romanticism in Madrid, in the Royal Palace of the same city, or the one preserved in the Cerralbo Museum (inventory VH 0556) from between 1834 and 1866, which has two round side tables.

· Size: 172x65x292 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZE175
COMMODE. CARVED WOOD. 16TH CENTURY

Chest of drawers. Carved wood. 16th century. Restorations. Chest of drawers with a carved wooden front in its own color, featuring two drawers with metal handles and lock escutcheons above two doors with handles and locks similar to the previous ones, and a carved top. The figurative elements (busts of men and female figures) appear within plain tondos, with simple geometric elements overlooking the rectangular areas in which they are located. The sides have simpler carvings based on plain moldings, and the lower part features wave-like work. These types of figurative busts are very common in the European Renaissance (compare, for example, the Plateresque carvings by Calderón, created in 1524 in the choir of Sigüenza Cathedral, with 16th-century Portuguese desks, the sides of the Azay-le-Rideau chest or trunk in the Louvre Museum in Paris, etc.), with the elements surrounding these busts typically varying within tondos. The shape of the piece of furniture is also striking, being unusual in the Spanish school of the period.

· Size: 150x60,5x161 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1317
THIRTY LIGHTS GLASS AND BRONZE CHANDELIER. 19TH CENTURY.

Ceiling lamp in bronze and colourless carved and modelled glass with thirty lights. Late 19th century. It is attached to the ceiling by a hook hidden by a crown with stems, from which the central axis of the lamp, made of glass in the shape of a double baluster, starts. The arms, made of gilded bronze, decorated with architectural and plant elements, start from this. The lights have candle-shaped bulbs. Beads of various shapes (rectangular, octagonal, star, teardrop and pendants with mixed profiles) have been placed all over the surface, joined by discreet metal hooks. The variety of shapes and the quality of the colourless glass should be highlighted. The profiles of some beads (teardrops, polygons, pendants) are found in both Bohemian and French works and in most of the Royal Glass and Crystal Factory of La Granja de San Ildefonso (Segovia, Spain) due to the great popularity of these shapes. The stars or small flowers are much rarer in the preserved examples. The mastery of the cut can be appreciated in the profiles and in the fineness of the modelling of the axis. While the decorative elements of the bronze clearly show influences of Neoclassicism, the glass work is reminiscent of the so-called “Maria Theresa chandeliers”, works based on those commissioned by the Empress Maria Theresa for her coronation in factories in the Bohemian part of the Czech Republic in 1743. This typology spread rapidly throughout Europe, varying in design and serving as an example in the main glass factories up to the present day. Although it is clearly different from the work done in Murano (Italy), the chandelier follows a tradition that has its roots in Bohemia and was continued in France, where as much attention was devoted to gilded bronze as to glass, and whose examples the chandelier somewhat more closely resembles. Similar lamps can still be found in very prominent residences such as the Fernán Núñez Palace (Madrid), Viana Palace (Córdoba), National Museum of Decorative Arts (Madrid), Paz Palace (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Louvre Museum (Paris), etc.

· Size: 100x100x130 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z6580
WROUGHT IRON BRAZIER. SPAIN, 13TH-14TH CENTURIES.

Brazier. Wrought iron. Spain, 13th-14th centuries. It has restoration on one handle. Rear grill. Reference: "The art of the ferro". Barcelona: Santiago Rusiñol, 2007, p. 151, image 137. Brazier made of wrought iron, consisting of a circular base, three flat legs, a body formed by two flat rings joined by vertical sections decorated with simple facing scrolls, and two handles on the top similar to the sections and ending in washers. Inside, it has an iron grill from a later date than the rest of the piece and has a restoration on one handle. It is very similar to another wrought iron brazier dating from the 12th or 13th centuries that is currently in a private collection; compare also with the rectangular one in the Museu Episcopal de Vic dated in the 14th century. The spirals that form the decoration of the piece are frequently called “curly irons”, and are an element very often used in the few examples of Romanesque ironwork and ironwork that we have preserved, and, for this very reason, they will be elements that will be maintained in forging works for centuries after in Spain (the Romanesque model with its volutes lasted well into the 15th century, with some variation). For example, the railings of the Church of Santa María del Camino or del Mercado in León or the one that has been placed in the choir in the church of San Vicente de Ávila, or those preserved in the Diocesan Museum of Jaca (Huesca). As it is a work made with a utilitarian purpose, the lack of decorative elements is normal, as is the transformation of the decoration into functional parts of the brazier. The examples of Romanesque braziers that have reached us are even scarcer than those with ironwork. One is preserved in the Diocesan Museum of Tarragona and another in the possession of the Junta de Castilla, both square but with this same type of spirals, and some more in important museums and collections such as the National Archaeological Museum, in the Cathedral of Tarragona, etc. Weight: 7.5 kg.

· Size: 52x39x54 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF0635
MIRROR. WOOD. SPAIN, 19TH CENTURY.

Mirror. Carved and gilded wood. Spain, 19th century. Rectangular wall mirror with a frame made of carved and gilded wood, with some openwork areas. It has a crest at the top, with architectural and plant decoration (garlands of flowers, leaves, etc.) arranged around (and symmetrically) a curved shape reminiscent of 18th century Rococo rocailles. Also note the wavy edges of the frame in this area. In the rest, outside a usual composition of smooth mouldings, there are a series of plant and architectural motifs (scrolls, leaves, scrolls, etc.), with some details showing, again, a certain Rococo influence. The piece clearly shows the influence of 18th-century Rococo works, as already indicated, but with a more common arrangement in 19th-century works. In addition, a clear French influence can be mentioned (in this school we would speak of the Louis XV style). Compare, for example, with several mirrors in the Cerralbo Museum in Madrid in which the upper part of the mirrors shows soft curves (inv. 04166 –dated in the second half of the 19th century-, etc.).

· Size: 172x20x260 cms
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1241
WALNUT THREE KEYS CHEST WITH WROUGHT IRONWORK, CASTILLE (SPAIN), 17TH ...

“Town Hall” chest made of walnut wood and wrought iron fittings. Castile, 17th century. Rectangular chest with a flat lid on four spherical legs and prominent moulding at the bottom, reinforced with corner pieces and featuring two handles with a central disc on the sides and, on its front, three bolts with a decorated lock shield and highlighted on a fabric background, with their respective keys. These have a decorated stem and a ring with openwork circular elements. This type of chest is called “Town Hall” or “Council” because of its three locks, each of which closes with its respective key. These pieces of furniture were used in any type of organisation, religious or civil, to store valuable objects, documents or money and each of the keys was given to a person in charge, it being essential that all three were together to open the piece of furniture, avoiding any possible temptation. They were a very common element in councils or town halls of towns and other villages, hence their name. Stylistically, it is situated within the Baroque period due to the strength of the lower moulding and the movement provided by the legs and the shapes of the different fittings. This typology was already used in the Gothic period and, given its success, would continue to be something common in the workshops of cabinetmakers and carpenters for many centuries. Sometimes they were made of iron, and, in very few cases, three keys were used to close a silver chest (the one containing the body of San Isidro, Madrid). In many places, such as La Rioja, it was used as a municipal archive, following laws inherited from a pragmatic of June 9, 1500 with which the Catholic Monarchs obliged the Councils of their territories to build town halls, prisons and to have a chest of privileges and deeds. Despite having been so abundant in their time, not many examples have reached us because they have fallen into disuse and been replaced. Compare with that of the Council of Villafranca de la Marisma (Los Palacios y Villafranca, Seville), that of Valdipiélago (León), that of Matapozuelos (Valladolid), that of the Cabildo of Buenos Aires in Argentina (18th century, following previous models), etc.

· Size: 152x67,5x76 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: Z3404
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TABLE. WALNUT, IRON. SPANISH SCHOOL, 16TH CENTURY.

Buffet table. Walnut, iron. Spanish School, 16th century. Walnut table with a rectangular top projecting on the sides, iron fasteners decorated with discs, and stipe legs in the shape of coved columns joined at the bottom by a carved jamb with architectural elements ending in volutes, resembling in shape the so-called "Saint Anthony" legs. Walnut wood was the most common in antique Spanish furniture, and the lack of decoration in the upper area is due to the fact that these pieces of furniture were designed to be "dressed" (covered with a cloth). Compare, in general terms, the so-called Inquisition Buffet, dated around 1600 and housed in the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Madrid. A table with similar decoration, dating to the late 16th century, is also held in a private collection. These carved decorative elements on the legs show a clear classicist influence, which is why it is thought to be associated with the Renaissance.

· Size: 132x85x81 cms.
ANTIQUES
FURNITURE

Ref.: ZF1296