A rock crystal ewer with enamelled gold mounts and an accompanying rock crystal basin with enamelled silver mounts, Emile Froment-Meurice, Paris, circa 1867

the ewer, designed by Henri Cameré for Froment-Meurice, inlaid in enamelled gold with translucent amber-coloured exotic birds, green foliage and husks within dark blue strapwork, the slender curved crystal handle entwined by a scarlet-enamelled serpent with lemon belly and ruby eyes, the gold mounts delicately picked out in black enamel with stylised holly leaves and berries, apparently unmarked, the circular dish on six double-prong supports, the silver-gilt cagework mounts enamelled with the same holly pattern, each rock crystal oval and interstice similarly applied and enamelled in blue and green with swags and vegetal motifs, maker's mark, boar's head control, the rim engraved: Froment-Meurice, in original brass-bound oak travelling case, the key plate engraved: Froment-Meurice, 372 rue St-Honoré, lined with claret silk, with matching ruffled protective cushion, and key

Said to have been in the possession in 1867 of Antoine d'Orléans, duc de Montpensier (1824-1890), youngest child of Louis-Philippe, King of the French, and Marie-Amélie de Bourbon-Siciles. In 1846, the Duke, who had previously pursued a military career, married the 14 year old Louise-Ferdinande, daughter of Ferdinand VII of Spain, and heiress presumptive of her elder sister Isabella II of Spain. Two years later following the revolution in France, the couple decided to make their home in Spain where the Duke was first promoted by Queen Isabella to the rank of infante of Spain in 1858 but shortly after accused of plotting against the throne and banished. The next 20 years were tempestuous both for Spain and for the Duke’s family but both were finally reconciled in 1878 with the marriage of Alfonso XII with Mercedes d’Orléans, the Duke’s daughter. The Duke was a long-term patron of both François-Désiré and his son, Emile Froment-Meurice, premier Parisian jewellers and goldsmiths, this ewer being apparently one of his earlier purchases from Emile, who with his mother took over the firm following his father's untimely death in 1855. In fact, according to the biographer Philippe Burty, it was the Duke’s fabulous wedding presents for his bride and her sister which were the first Froment-Meurice pieces to be seen and much admired in Spain, leading to the firm being patronised by many aristocratic Spanish families. For a detailed description of the Duke’s patronage, see Fernando A. Martin’s article, ‘La presence de Froment-Meurice en Espagne’, in the exhibition catalogue, Trésors d'Argent, Les Froment-Meurice, orfèvres romantiques parisiens, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Paris, 2003, pp. 67-93. A coloured drawing for the ewer (p. 76) comes from an album of designs, now belonging to the Patrimonio nacional, Madrid, prepared by Emile Froment-Meurice for the betrothed Mercedes and Alfonso in 1877.

Ewer exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle 1867: 
'une délicieuse aiguière, qui appartient à M. le duc de Montpensier, des émaux bleus et verts se déploient en branches frêles et s'ouvrent en fleurs mignonnes, tandis qu'un gentil serpent émaillé s'enroule sur l'anse du vase' (Octave Lacroix, 'M. Froment-Meurice', L'Exposition Universelle de 1867 illustrée, vol. II, p. 22)

Jules Mesnard, Les Merveilles de l'Exposition universelle de 1867, Paris, 1867, illustrated p. 7;
Alfred Darcel, ‘L’Emaillerie moderne’, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1868/1,  pp. 82/3, illustrated;
Emile Froment-Meurice, ‘Les Artistes de l’Industrie VI: Henri Cameré’, Revue des arts décoratifs, Paris, 1895, vol. XV, pp. 102/3;
Henri Bouilhet, L’Orfèvrerie française aux XVIIIe et XIXe siècles, Paris, 1908-1912, vol. 3, p. 40, illustrated;
coloured drawing illustrated in exhibition catalogue, Trésors d'Argent, Les Froment-Meurice, orfèvres romantiques parisiens, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Paris, 2003, p. 86

Dish in excellent condition. The ewer has restoration to enamel on snake and tail has been re-attached; one enamelled reed has been re-attached and one reed tip is missing; there is restoration to inlay particularly of green enamel on the side nearest to the handle; there has been damage and restoration at the base of the handle with visible glue work, scrapes, chiplets to crystal and missing leaf; as well as natural flaws in the rock crystal body there is a perceptible crack to the shoulder to the right of the handle and a larger crack from base of handle downwards and across. Because of the decoration, neither of these cracks detract from the general good impression of the piece. There is a chip to crystal on the rim of the base ( 4mm) under the rim. Travelling case in good order with minor stains and splits to silk of cushion.
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Emile Froment-Meurice (1837-1913) was only 18 on the death of his father, the talented and imaginative goldsmith François-Désiré Froment-Meurice (1802-1855). Luckily his mother was able to call upon the incomparable team of artists and collaborators assembled by his father, and who had created such celebrated works as the Toilette offered by the ladies of France to the future Duchesse de Parme on the occasion of her marriage in 1845 and finally completed in 1851. Emile took control in 1859, but it was not, however, until the Exposition Universelle of 1867 that he finally came into his own with the creation of magnificent works of art as innovative yet fashionable as those of his father.
The piece that aroused the greatest enthusiastic interest among commentators was this rock crystal ewer, which was generally regarded as a tour de force. Whereas we are amazed by the airy beauty of Henri Cameré's neo-Renaissance design, contemporaries were more struck by its technical virtuosity. Alfred Darcel described the procedure thus, 'les lacis d'émail qui enveloppe les flancs de l'aiguière ... sont incrustée dans le cristal de roche. Comme ce produit minéral naturel ne peut supporter l'action du feu sans se briser, il a fallu composer par parties les divers éléments à surfaces courbes de cette décoration, puis les rapporter une fois fabriqués et les fixer sur les flancs de l'aiguière destinées à les recevoir, et dissimuler les raccords le plus habilement possible. Tout cela est supérieurement exécuté ; l'ensemble en est charmant, d'un gout exquis'. Henri Bouilhet also notes the difficulties overcome by the goldsmiths - 'elles ont été admirablement résolues', adding, 'dans cette pièce, le cristal de roche est à sa vraie place'.
In all the commentaries and illustrations only the ewer appears, with no mention of a stand. It is frustrating that we cannot now know whether it was for practicality (more solidity for the larger surface) or for expedience (already ready and such pieces must have taken months to create) that the duc de Montpensier chose to accompany his gold-mounted exhibition piece with the silver-mounted stand and yet the two go admirably together and fit perfectly into their original Froment-Meurice travelling case.