A pair of French gilt-bronze-mounted Sèvres lilac-grey porcelain vases "Tabouret' and liners in Louis XVI style, the Sèvres porcelain dated circa 1860, the mounts possibly by Christofle or Beauferey

snake-cast handles lacking

The snake handles are present and there are no liners. The quality of the gilt bronze casting and gilding is very good. There are some very miniscule chips to the red marble bases but these are hardly noticeable. In overall very good original condition. An impressive model. The vases are 60cm. high, 40cm. diameter and not as stated in the catalogue.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
The Art Journal Catalogue of the Paris Universal exhibition of 1867, London, P. 53 for an engraving of a 19th century example exhibited by the Sèvres manufacture.
Porcelaine et Terres de Sèvres, Compiègne, Musée National du Château, éd. Musée Nationaux, Paris, 1993, p. 285, for an illustration and discussion on the 1866's vases at Compiègne.
H. Ottomeyer and P. Proschel,.Vergoldete Bronzen, Vol I, Munich, 1986, p. 237, p. 425, for a 19th century example circa 1864.
Pierre Kjellberg, Objets Montés, du Moyen Âge à nos jours, Paris, 2000, p. 106 for the 18th century model.
D. Alcouffe, A. Dion-Tenenbaum, G. Mabille, Gilt-bronze in the Louvre, Dijon, 2004, p. 245, for the original 18th century model.

The present exceptional pair of vases represent an impressive 19th century copy of the original pair of vases, now in the permanent collection of the Louvre. The originals are made of 18th  century Chinese porcelain vases mounted with French ormolu mounts, which were commissioned by Louis Marie Augustin d'Aumont de Rochebaron (1709-1782), commonly know as the Duke D' Aumont, from Gouthière in 1781. Having been unfinished at the time of the Duke's death, they were offered in the sale of his collection on December 12, 1782 and were listed as 'Deux vases [en ancien celadon], en forme de baril, à têtes de chimère....' They were purchased by Julliot for Louis XVI at a cost of 7,501 livres, entering the Louvre and listed in the inventories of 1793. They were later listed as being in the .galerie de Diane at the Tuileries Palace in 1833. By 1870, they were listed in the Mobilier National, inventory number OA 5514-5514 Bis, and were transferred back to the Louvre.

Sèvres began to manufacture copies of the vases in 1860, the porcelain differing from the original Chinese porcelain in the modeling of the lions mask. The lion's mask of the 19 th century Sèvres version is a Western lion's mask as opposed to the Chinese lion's mask found on the 18th century model. In 1866, Napoleon III ordered three pairs from Sèvres, the first two pairs in blue glaze were sent to the Elysée Palace and the third pair in bleu jaspé glaze was sent to the Compiègne Palace. Another pair was ordered for the Grand Trianon during the 19th century.
It appears that whilst Sèvres produced the porcelain bodies, it was marchand-bronziers who retailed the mounted vases. In the case of those vases ordered by Napoleon III, the suppliers listed were Christofle and Beauferey. The Compiègne Palace records indicate that each vase cost 4100 Francs. For example, the records include a bill from Christofle of 56 rue de bondit for '.dorure de 54 pièces pour vases Louis XVI , 16 petites rosaces chargées de 86 g. d'or...6 anses bronze pour vases Louis XVI chargé de 21 g. d'or' dated February 6, 1866. Beauferey sent a bill for '....54 pièces composant la monture de vases Louis XVI chargés de 120 g. d'or à 6 F. 720 F.' on March 24 of the same year.

The present vases are rare as they are glazed with the process known as Pâte Changeante or Pâte Caméléon, a technique most probably developed by Alphonse Salvétat and first shown at the 1862 Universal Exhibition in London. The glaze reacts to light by changing color from greyish green in daylight to a lilac/pink in artificial light. The vases are dated 1860, which suggests that they were part of the first vases of this type that Sèvres produced. Their early manufacture, their unusual glaze and the fact that they were produced six years before Napoleon III ordered his three pairs, all add to the rarity and unique quality of the present pair of vases.
A virtually identical pair of vases was sold Sotheby's, New York, 19th century Furniture, Sculpture, Ceramics, Silver and Works of Art, 21st October 2009, lot 203