Pair of Ferdinand Barbedienne Low Handled Bronze Urns after the Zaffoli Borghese Vase

Glorious and incredibly rare pair of 19th century gilt bronze low handled urns modelled after the original Borghese vase by Giovanni Zoffoli (c1785-1845) cast by Barbedienne in the third quarter of the 19th century

Height 14.5 cm, Width 24.5 cm

Zinc Liner 10 cm Depth, 12.5 cm Width 

The work is distinguished by its four satyr masks and gilt thyrsi, staffs or spears tipped with ornamental pine cones and hung with goatskins, which were commonly carried by the followers of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, fertility and agriculture, equivalent to the Greek, Dionysus. Presented with the original zinc liners.

Inscribed F. BARBEDIENNE to the base for Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) of Paris. An original cast by Zoffoli resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This rare design are the only two by Barbedienne that we have been able to locate. The artist worked for Giacomo Zoffoli (his brother or nephew), a Roman silversmith and bronze founder who built a successful business producing reductions after antique sculptures for those making the Grand Tour.

Known as the Borghese Vase, the two antique vases were in the collection of the Borghese family, then in Rome but now in the Louvre, having been bought by Napoleon from his brother-in-law Camillo Borghese in 1807.

The Zaffoli Borghese Vases were in turn inspired by the 1st Century Urn that resides in the Louvre, Paris

Some areas of patination as shown on images. Price shown is for the Pair of Urns.

All our items are genuine antique/vintage pieces and therefore can have some signs of age related use or wear, this adds to the character and uniqueness of each of them.

 We try to give accurate measurements wherever possible, however where items are unusual shapes pls trust our approx dimensions to be as close as possible.