Pair Square shaped Baccarat White Opaline Jardinières with Gilt-Bronze Tassels

Description

A Pair of Napoleon III Gilt-Bronze-Mounted Square Shaped White Opaline Crystal Jardinières, Attributed to Baccarat Each jardinière is of square form with straight sides and a flat rim, composed of opaque white opaline Crystal of uniform translucency and soft luster. The Opaline is mounted within gilt-bronze frames fitted with ball feet at the corners, each corner rising to rounded finials linked to suspended tassels formed of coiled wire and finished with smooth caps. The upper rim and lower border are edged with slender gilt-bronze moldings, enclosing the body neatly and providing structural reinforcement. The precise symmetry and alignment of the mounts demonstrate careful metalwork and fitting, with each tassel chain identical in proportion and placement. The mounts are executed in gilt bronze with a consistent, even gilding, their polished finish contrasting with the matte opaline glass. The spherical feet are solidly cast, providing both stability and visual balance. The tassels, composed of multiple wound tiers, exhibit accurate and delicate construction typical of Baccarat’s collaborations with Parisian bronziers during the Napoleon III period. The restrained cubic form combined with these refined bronze embellishments reflects the decorative sensibility of mid-19th-century French interiors, where opaline glass was favored for its luminous surface and its capacity to pair elegantly with ormolu mountings. A closely comparable pair of Napoleon III gilt-bronze-mounted opaline glass jardinières attributed to Baccarat was sold at Sotheby’s, The Vision of Aso O. Tavitian: The Country House, for USD 21,600. The present pair aligns closely with that example in both design and proportion, affirming their connection to Baccarat’s opaline glass production. These jardinières represent high-quality Second Empire decorative art, distinguished by the precision of their gilt-bronze mounts and the purity of their white opaline glass.

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