Vintage French Art Nouveau Bronze Figural Vase After Auguste Moreau

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An exceptional French Art Nouveau figural patinated solid bronze vase featuring a beautifully sculpted, playful nude boy (putto/cherub) dynamically climbing … Read more An exceptional French Art Nouveau figural patinated solid bronze vase featuring a beautifully sculpted, playful nude boy (putto/cherub) dynamically climbing over the rim. The lower body of the substantial, heavy baluster-shaped vessel is cast in high full-relief with a naturalistic wetland motif, detailed with elegant iris flowers, long reeds, and a delicate dragonfly resting on the foliage. Measuring an impressive 17 inches in height, this large-scale exhibition piece bears the crisp, engraved signature of the highly celebrated French sculptor Auguste Moreau (1834–1917) near the lower body. It features the authentic circular "Fabrication Française - Paris - Made in France" foundry stamp on the reverse. This specialized foundry mark was utilized between 1892 and 1915 for premium Parisian export art, dating this exquisite piece to the turn-of-the-century Belle Époque era. Rendered with a gorgeous, non-magnetic, multi-tonal chocolate brown and subtle green patina, this heavy bronze vase beautifully showcases the organic, flowing lines of the classic French Art Nouveau movement. It features an authentic, hand-fitted inset metal closure base plate showing historic hand-brazing techniques around the bottom rim. See less