Auguste Lemaire (active ca.1851 - 1868) after a model by Léo - Lot 141

Auguste Lemaire (active ca.1851 - 1868) after a model by Léonard Morel-Ladeuil (1820- 1888) Vase-aiguière from "La Danse des Willis" and its tray Model created between 1851 and 1855; cast before 1862 by Auguste Lemaire Cast silver bronze in high relief and cold chased The maker's initials "AL" appear in four places, on the body, under the foot and under the tray. tray Numbers "2.N", "2.E", "2.D", "2.B", "2.H" on assembly parts H. 68 cm on a 54 cm diameter tray some missing patina, wear around the edge of the tray and structural restorations (threaded rod) Provenance l Former collection of the medallist André Giard; by descent. Toulon collection. This extraordinary goldsmith's set, comprising a vase-aiguière and its silver-plated silvered bronze, is one of the jewels in the crown of French goldsmith's and bronze industry of the 19th century. The model was designed by Léonard Morel-Ladeuil (1820- 1888), one of the finest artists of this generation of sculptor-fashioners who found in this type of who found in this type of objets d'art the means to deploy their talent. The vase-aiguière rests on a tray where a frog, an adder and a lizard appear at the edge of a lake of nenes. a lake of water lilies. From the base of the vase, the stems and foliage of aquatic plants blossom on the body. Surrounding the belly, draped women and crowned with flowers, admirably executed in very high relief are reflected above the plateau they overlook. From this eternal round a dancer clinging to a handle adorned with twisted reed stems. She joins a finely chiselled spout in the shape of water lilies, whose surface is adorned with the face of a river god. The handle is presided over by an owl that appears frozen, ready to fly away or, on the contrary, having just landed. landing. Often associated with magic, it is the symbol of night and an omen of death. COMPLETE SHEET AVAILABLE ON REQUEST Expert | Cabinet Sculpture & Collection Lot only visible by appointment at 69 rue Saint-Anne 75002 Paris and sold by appointment.