Maison Marnyhac - Pair Of Tripod Ornamental Vases With Sinic Decor.

Maison MARNYHAC 4 rue de la Paix in Paris. Pair of cylindrical ornamental tripod vases in openwork and gilded bronze with sinic decoration. They are decorated with four figures of immortals in high relief on the middle part framed by foaming waves in the lower part and geometric motifs in the upper part. The handles affecting stylized chilongs. Signed under the collar. Dimensions: 15 x 12.5 x 9 cm Note: "Nothing weak, everything for Art" The house of Marnyhac et Cie is a company manufacturing and trading artistic bronzes which appears at the initiative of the artist Jacques Elie Edmond Armand de Marnyhac known as Charles de Marnyhac (1840-1897) around 1865. The history of this house, very little documented until today and yet considered as the direct competitor of Barbedienne by contemporary critics, is relatively complicated. We know in fact that a first store was established on rue de la Paix and that the workshops were located on avenue de Wagram in Paris. In 1875, a second boutique was opened in the English capital at 163 and 165 Regent Street after a successful participation in the International Exhibition in London in 1871. The house also participated in its debut at the Universal Exhibition of 1867 where it won a bronze medal, then in 1878 where she was rewarded this time with the gold medal and the Legion of Honor. The presentation of the house's works during this event will be very noted and in particular by EB who will write about this in The masterpieces at the Universal Exhibition of 1878: "In summary, and I conclude with this appreciation of which I am ready to assume all responsibility, the exhibition at the house of Marnyhac clearly demonstrated to me that Paris has two Barbediennes, that is to say two art industrialists such that the whole of Europe cannot oppose us. 'equal.' Developing, from then on, a strong commercial dimension, the house of Marnyhac turned towards luxurious and high-end production. Thus, on June 29, 1879, the house of Marnyhac et Cie changed its name to the Société Anonyme d'Ameublement after its merger with the house of Foye-Davenne, which had existed for 55 years. A new store was then opened, modeled on the department stores that were booming in the second half of the 19th century, at 26 avenue de l'Opéra the same year. This space was dedicated entirely to art and furniture bronzes and intended for a worldly clientele. FG Dumas discusses the commercial strategies of this department store dedicated to bronze in the Illustrated Catalog of the Salon of 1882 (pp. 295-296): "A department store must be in a way like a museum: nothing weak, everything for the Art; one should only encounter improvements, and each work is made to serve occasionally as a sample and model (...) Enter these stores on the Avenue de l'Opéra, and you will will already see arranged as for an installation all the most varied parts of furniture." The house's production responds to the eclectic taste of the wealthy clientele of the second half of the 19th century and follows the different stylistic movements. Thus the style of the furniture is inspired by the great century, historicism or even Japonism thanks to the collection of ancient Chinese and Japanese bronzes belonging to Charles de Marnyhac and from which he notably creates planters, cups, vases of all kinds. shapes adorned with fantastical dragons, chimeras and fabulous writhing monsters. A large number of the most elegant private mansions in the Monceau plain and the suburbs were then furnished by the house, as well as the Continental hotel (currently The Westin Paris-Vendôme hotel) and the Figaro hotel. We can also read in the Illustrated Catalog of the Salon of 1886 (volume 6) that “Anyone who wants to furnish a hotel, by bringing together furniture where nothing stands out, cannot take a more consummate guide than Mr. de Marnyhac. » Nevertheless, the majority of the house's production is based on the reproduction of modern sculptures of which Charles de Marnyhac was one of the most ardent propagators. Like its competitors, they try to satisfy their customers through collaborations contracted with renowned contemporary artists, who are then the real contribution to their success. We can notably cite Eugène Piat (1827-1903), Auguste Clésinger (1814-1883), Alexandre Falguière (1831-1900) and even Edouard Lièvre (1828-1886). Official announcements of the cessation of activity of the Société Anonyme d'Ameublement appeared in the press in 1894. The company also disappeared from Didot Bottin between 1891 and 1899, only to reappear that same year domiciled on rue des Jeuneurs. However, nothing further indicates that it is the estate of Charles de Marnyhac.