A pair of French bronze and parcel gilt vases early 19th century

each with a square plinth base and fluted socle, the body cast with reliefs depicting to one side a female figure breastfeeding, flanked by putti, and an elephant, a putto inscribing into a wall, and a heron; the other side similar with kneeling man holding branch, the frieze above an acanthus leaf cast body and below a guilloche banding, gilding possibly later, possibly originally with lid; vase A marked '128' with crowned 'TU'; '19163', 'TUL 0'; vase B: '128'; '19163'.

Probably the bronze vases described in the Palais de Tuileries inventory of 1833, located in the King's Waiting Chamber.

In overall good condition. The gilding to the bronze has faded and tarnished in areas. The cast bronze relief is in very good condition with fine detail. With removable metal liners.
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Of unusual neoclassical shape, this elegant pair of patinated and parcel-gilt bronze urns bear several marks to their plinths, including the crowned “TU” to both, used for the Palais de Tuileries inventory of 1833, above the number 128. In this inventory (Archives Nationales, Paris, AJ19. 169), the first following the accession to the throne in 1830 of Louis-Philippe d’Orléans (1773-1850), the entry for this number corresponds to two bronze vases in the King's waiting chamber, described as “two Medicis vases in chiseled bronze representing two subjects, one of the Sacrifice of Ephigenia, and the other a Bacchanal”. Whilst the subject and shape of the vases do not correspond exactly, this description reveals the ambiguity of the theme, and also the originality of the neoclassical inspired design. The scenes on the relief frieze are not easily identifiable, possibly representing Charity to one side.

 

The Tuileries Palace was built in 1564 for Catherine de’ Medici, and repeatedly remodelled and enlarged over the following centuries. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette lived there, effectively under house arrest, until the tragic conclusion of the French Revolution after which it became the official residence of Napoleon I, who had it redecorated by Percier and Fontaine. It continued to be the Royal residence for subsequent Kings of France and during the Second Empire, the Northern Wing of the Louvre was completed, thus joining these two magnificent palaces. Tragically, against the back drop of the Paris Commune, arsonists set the palace on fire in 1871. The ruins of the Tuileries stood for eleven years before being finally demolished during the Third Republic.