Vase in the form of an antique urn in gilded bronze after the model of Claude Ballin, Eugene Cornu, height 66 cm, circa 1870. This is a copy of one of the six vases created by Ballin (d. 1678) for the gardens of Versailles.
Sculptor and bronzer Eugène Cornu (1827-1875?) was born in Paris on Rue Popincourt. He worked as a designer for the famous manufactory Maison Tahan, which was engaged in the manufacture of expensive furniture, interior decorations and other luxury items.
Pair of onyx vases in a gilded bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel E. CORNU height 89 cm circa 1860.
Around 1858, he moved to the Compagnie des Marbres Onyx d’Algérie, which exploited onyx quarries discovered in 1849 near Oran in Algiers, then a French colony. Onyx was mined there until the beginning of the 20th century. The company was founded by Alphonse Palu, then Gustave Viot became his successor. In 1861, the company opened its own art foundry. They produced splendid furniture and art in onyx, marble, and bronze, sometimes with enamel, a combination that was considered a novelty and highly prized by wealthy buyers. This is what the company’s products looked like in the interior.
Algerian onyx vase with figured handles in a gilded bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel E. CORNU height 33 cm late 19th century.Chandelier in the form of a female figure holding a torch after the model of Albert Ernest Carrier Belleuse on an onyx plinth by E. CORNU height 322 cm circa 1867 1878.
Vases of a similar model, on bases in the form of elephant heads, were exhibited as part of the extensive award-winning collection presented by Eugène Cornu and Gustave Viot at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris. In many ways, the company owed its success to Eugene Cornu, who eventually led it, and the company was named “Compagnie des Onyx d’Algérie E. Cornu et Cie”. Cornu was also involved in the creation of some sculptures combining bronze with onyx, after the models of such sculptors as Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier or Louis-Ernest Barrias.
Tazza supported by two classical female figures modeled after Albert Ernest Carrier Belleuse E. CORNU height 62 cm late 19th century.
In 1865 began a long and fruitful collaboration between Carrier-Belleuse and the company of Eugène Cornu. “Torches, vases, goblets of considerable size in various types of marble, and above all the successful use of onyx from Algeria in combination with metals, provide a decorative richness, artfully developed by the pencil of M. Cornu and the fine talent of the sculptor Carrier-Belleuse” (report on the World exhibition of 1867 in Paris).
Marble set in a gilded bronze setting vase height 57 cm E. CORNU circa 1875.Algerian onyx vase in a gilded bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel believed to be the work of Eugene Cornu height 18.5 cm late 19th century.
The work of Cornu’s workshop is complex. This is the work of specialists of many professions: bronzers, stonemasons, sculptors, modellers. Each frame consists of detachable parts that are connected by hidden fasteners. The names of these masters are not known to us, but the things they created have survived centuries.
Marking.Bowl made of gilded bronze and glass decorated with an engraved and painted monogram E. CORNU height 29 cm second half of the 19th century.Frame. Decor elements.Onyx bowl with gilded silvered and tinted bronze frame E. CORNU height 23.5 cm late 19th century.Onyx mantel clock in French chinoiserie style gilded and patinated bronze height 54.6 cm E. CORNU circa 1865 1875.Pair of Japanese style onyx vases with elephant head handles and cloisonne enamel overlays on bronze stands E. CORNU height 53 cm.Onyx vase in a gilded bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel E. CORNU 38 cm high circa 1860.Onyx bowl in a gilded bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel E. CORNU height 35.5 cm second half of the 19th century.Porcelain vase in gilded and silvered bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel believed to be the work of E. CORNU height 38 cm circa 1870.Onyx geridon table on a gilded bronze stand believed to be the work of Eugene Cornu diameter 52 cm late 19th century.The table top with Florentine pietre dure mosaic deserves special attention the authorship has not been established.Chinoiserie style Gueridon supported by a gilded bronze crane believed to be the work of E. CORNU height 92 cm circa 1860 1870.Enamel tabletop with arabesques on a red background decorated with a polychrome image of birds on flowering branches.Chinoiserie style gueridon supported by a gilt bronze peacock enameled top believed to be the work of E. CORNU 44 cm high circa 1860.Chinoiserie style jardiniere E. CORNU height 44 cm late 19th century.Algerian onyx vase in a patinated gilded bronze frame believed to be the work of Eugene Cornu height 59.5 cm circa 1870.Clock and candlesticks in Algerian onyx in a gilded bronze frame decorated with cloisonne enamel E. CORNU clock 46.5 cm high late 19th century.
