Late 19th century French attr. Barbedienne grand tour bronze Tôle Painte so-called “Isis tripod” jardiniere or planter On a trefoil base of gray-black patinated bronze, three slender legs in the form of lion legs, each supporting a female sphinx with raised large wings. Each sphinx bears on its head a shaft composed of highly stylized floral elements, the upper arabesque finial of which serves as a border for a round, drum-shaped planter of black painted metal with neo-classical gold colored vignette painting. The three legs are connected by a gray-black patinated y-shaped crosspiece in the center zone, giving the tripod more stability. Another crosspiece of the same shape is placed between the three finial arabesques and serves as a support for the flat, removable bowl. The “legs” of the legs each show the mask of a bearded man in the archaic Greek style on the front, accompanied by classical leaf ornaments.
This design is based on a wood engraving by Giovanni Piranesi that shows the bronze tripod found in the Isis Temple in Pompeii in 1760 and which is now part of the collection of the Museo Nazionale in Naples. Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892), one of the most famous and excellent bronze founders of the second half of the 19th century is known to have produced copies of the Isis tripod, one of them having been offered in a Sotheby’s 2014 auction for 20000-30000 USD.
Condition: good. wear consistent with age and use, min. fading. 1 foot with parts of corrosion (see photo), refinishing of planter bowl – detailed condition report on request
