Urns Take Some Beating If Seeking Striking Lighting

Summary

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PLYMOUTH AUCTION ROOMS To make a house a home there needs to be something very special and personal on show, apart from the usual family photographs or - possibly - paintings. Especially in ultramodern, minimalist interiors a special piece will stand out, so consider the pair of table lamps with a difference, the two 19th century bronze urns by the Paris foundry, Ferdinand Barbedienne, take some beating in Plymouth Auction Rooms sale today. The foundry was started by Achille Collas and Ferdinand Barbedienne in 1838 and as Collas had invented a machine able to mechanically reduce statues, the workshop was built on solid foundations, but only just survived the collapse in the economy ten years later.

The acclaimed Antoine Louis Barye suffered from a shortage of money almost the whole time he was making animalier bronzes, but he was so fussy, allowing nothing to leave his workshop unless absolutely perfect. As it was, he tended to reject more than he allowed out, but as rival workshops held no similar qualms, many were waiting in the wings when the inevitable happened.

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Urns Take Some Beating If Seeking Striking Lighting

When Collas died in 1859 Barbedienne took sole control of the business, and later when over 125 casting models from Barye's foundry came on ...

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