A Louis XV style gilt bronze mounted porphyry vase and cover 19th century

In excellent condition. Ormolu with only some minor oxidation, surface dirt and rubbing. Porphyry in very good condition with a minor half-inch small worn chip to the edge of the lid.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The design of this lavish lidded vase was inspired by precious and rare Louis XV models of ormolu-mounted porphyry vessels such as those in the collection of the Louvre, see Daniel Alcouffe, et. al., Gilt bronzes in the Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 96-99. The gilt bronze dragons on the present lot echo the early eighteenth-century taste for such fantastical motifs and can be seen on a pair of ewers, see ibid. p. 89; on another pair of ewers in the Dillée Collection, sold Sotheby's Paris, March 13, 2015, lot 43; and on a pair of lidded vases, see Sotheby's New York, November 6, 2008, lot 71.