Mid 19th Century Napoleon III Chinoserie French Lobed Basket in Hand-Decorated Papier-Maché

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We kindly suggest you read the whole description, because with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical … Read more We kindly suggest you read the whole description, because with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to guarantee the authenticity of our objects.
Valuable and original papier-maché lobed chinoiserie basket; the oval shape with wavy rim is elegant and pleasing; on the inside, a skilled artist and painter have hand-painted beautiful and graceful orchids with meticulousness and skill, taking care of the entire work in great detail. The rim of the basket is finished in pure gold. The basket was made between1865 - 1870 in the environs of Paris, in an artisan workshop specializing in this type of workmanship. The chinoiserie style, during the reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870), had an exceptional development in both giftware, furniture, and textiles reflecting and well representing the socio-cultural and economic period that France was then experiencing. The term "chinoiserie," which derives from the French word "chinois," was a Western style that arose between the 17th and 18th centuries and denotes that chinoiserie did not come directly from Asia, but was an imaginative European interpretation of Asian culture; this style developed particularly in the decorative arts, architecture, literature, theater, and music; France was the most prolific European nation in the production of chinoiserie. The technique of "papier-maché" (mixture of papers and natural glues) is known in China as far back as 200 B.C. (Han dynasty), later spreading throughout the East; helmets, shields, ceremonial masks, boxes, and other decorative objects were made from papier maché; it appeared in Europe around 1725, and soon this technique spread to various European countries for the production of fine artistic and ornamental works; in fact, in no other material have so many decorative techniques been seen and are being applied as in this one, where lacquering, patination, gilding, and the finest paintings have their greatest expression; papier-maché had its greatest use from the 16th to the 20th century, particularly in France and Russia. Orchids (Cymbidium) convey a sense of elegance, refinement, and sensuality, conferred by the colors and particular beauty of the flowers. In the language of flowers, therefore, the orchid is a symbol of beauty, elegance, reverence, seduction, love, and eroticism. Measures width cm.35, depth cm.26, height cm.5. The basket is in excellent condition. For all our shipments we use special packaging materials (wooden crates, styrofoam, etc.) for maximum protection and safety of the objects. See less