A FRENCH ORMOLU AND POLYCHROME-PATINATED BRONZE VASE

Appointed as head of Christofle's design studio in 1865, Émile-Alphonse Reiber (d. 1893) developed, in addition to their usual production of silverware, a series of extraordinary pieces inspired by exotic mixed metal works, such as the present vase. With Christofle's considerable technical capabilities in orfèvrerie, galvanoplastie (electroplating) and bronze-work at his disposal, Reiber produced Persian, Chinese and Japanese-inspired designs realized in exceptional quality. His innovation was both technical and artistic, and the crowning achievement of his career was the breadth of cloisonné enamels and mixed-metal bronze-works which imitated fashionable trends of the late 19th century. The dessinateur and ornemiste promoted his appreciation in Albums Reiber: Bibliothèque Portative des Arts du Déssin, a compendium of designs in which he illustrates a propensity for ancient design and ornament.