Resources and documentation
Our objects have a history. Through our themed articles, explore their past and the techniques and crafts that created them.
Pair of Andirons Decorated with Vienna Bronzes, 19th Century
In the second half of the 19th century, the bronzes of Vienna and the taste for historicism had an explosive encounter on decorative arts objects. Souvenir of a fancy that…
The Naval Chest from Nuremberg or Pirate Chest
Rare witnesses of the daily life of corsairs and crews in the 17th and 18th centuries, naval safes, known as Nuremberg chest, are true marvels of locksmithing.
Seascapes and Marines
Seascapes are a subject that brings together all kinds of paintings, from portraits of boats to views of ports, including the stormy seas of romantic artists or the ex-votos of…
A 17th Century Spanish Bargueño
An emblematic piece of furniture from 16th and 17th century Spain, the bargueño has its roots in multiple influences, the memory of which can be read on the metal hinges, the…
Animal Bronzes
With the 19th century as the golden age, animal sculpture followed artistic movements and appeared in the 20th century as a laboratory of modernity. From Antoine-Louis Barye to…
Luca della Robbia’s choir in Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence
A masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, the choir sculpted by Luca della Robbia for Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence was long copied as an example by artists.
The Crystal
When in the 15th century the fall of Constantinople deprived the West of its supply of rock crystal, the princes hired their glassmakers to create a glass capable of equaling the…
Russian Malachite
Probably borrowing its name from the Greek "malakos", soft, malachite is unduly deprived of the first quality of hard stones. Reduced for a long time in make-up or pigments, it…
Chinese mahogany and mother of pearl cabinet, 19th century
High-end furniture in 19th century China, Luo-tien furniture is characterized by a Chinese mahogany frame and mother-of-pearl inlays with carefully chosen motifs.