A pair of French gilt-bronze mounted Rosso Levanto marble vases and pedestals, in the Louis XV style, late 19th/early 20th century

The present pair of vases raised on pedestals are certainly eye-striking for their scale and for the striking contrast between the gilt-bronze mounts and marbles. This pair of vases are not only impressive examples of the fascination for vases as a shape, as means to display certain materials and highly-skilled craftsmanship of a country, here distinctively French, but they are also important reminders of the everlasting success of vases as staples in any collection.

Such monumental marble pieces with gilt-bronze mounts are quite rare so much that it belongs to quite a small group of monumental vases on pedestal from the late 19th century. For example, two pairs of large vases on pedestals signed by Eugène Cornu were offered at Sotheby’s, New York, 26 October 2010, lot 203 and another in the same sale, lot 411. Interestingly, the first features very similar pedestals in shape than the present pair.

Overall, the shape of vases enjoys a great success as it allows the addition of gilt-bronze mounts to compliment yet ornament the marble as is the case here. The present gilt-bronze mounts are remarkable for both the accuracy of the depictions (the snakes, the scrolls and stylized foliage) and the quality of the casting. Similar snake handles can be viewed on a marble vase from the second half 19th century sold Sotheby’s Paris, 5 November 2014, lot 328. A pair of mounted malachite vases with mounts featuring similar scrolls and stylized foliage than the present were offered at Sotheby’s, New York, 20 April 2007, lot 163. Carved marble screaming figures, not lions though, are interestingly featured on a Louis XIV pair of vases sold at Sotheby's, Paris, 4 June 2020, lot 112.