An important Restauration period ormolu Gueridon, c. 1820, Attributed to Thomire

An important Restauration period ormolu Gueridon, c. 1820, Attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843).
With a round Siena marble molded edge top, the frieze with a plain molded border and applied with a repeat of trailing vine and rosette bands, all raised upon a substantial ormolu (gilt bronze) tripod base with characteristic brushed and burnished finishes. The baluster stem capped with an acanthus and stem palmette band, a complementary leaf band below and issuing out three fluted volute scroll legs, each with a circular leaf capped terminal fitted with a brass and iron caster rolling foot.
French Restauration period ORMOLU gueridon are a very unusual and rare form.
Sheathed in gilt bronze with a stoutly constructed oak carcass then tooled with burnished and brushed surfaces highlight the decorative appeal of this gueridon table.
The gueridon offered here is attributed on stylistic grounds and is consistent with the prominent sculptor and Bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire as described in Juliette Niclausse’s 1947 monograph on Thomire, which mentions a similar table with certain variations in its general design: “A large chased and gilt bronze gueridon. The apron is adorned with a succession of stars, the feet terminate in claws. Signed Thomire” (J. Niclausse, Thomire, fondeur ciseleur (1751-1843), Paris, 1947, p. 134). Only a few similar gueridons made entirely of chased gilt bronze are known. Among them, one example with a baluster stem is in the Royal Spanish Collection, in the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid (illustrated in L. Feduchi, Colecciones Reales de Espana, El Mueble, p. 457, fig. 380). A second piece was formerly in the collection of Russian sculptor Marc Antocolsky (1840-1902); it was first sold in Paris in 1906 and was again offered on the French art market several decades later (sold Paris, Galerie Georges Petit, May 26-27, 1930, lot 203). One further comparable gueridon is on display at the Villa Masséna in Nice (illustrated in L. Mézin, La Villa Masséna du Premier Empire à la Belle Epoque, 2010, p. 50-51, catalogue n° 8).
A small number of similar Restauration period GUERIDON similarly attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire have been offered at auction in the last half century.

Diameter 26.75"

Height 27.75"

F1953