ticketsMember | Make a donation

Jardinière

Designer Emile Reiber
Probably by Eugène Guignard
Manufacturer for the firm of Christofle & Cie
ca. 1878
Not on view
Designed by Émile Reiber, editor of the critical publication L'art pour tous in 1861 and chief of the composition and design studios at Christofle from 1865, the jardinière is decorated in Japanese taste with bunches of flowers and flowering branches with applied pinecone feet and handles. The use of contrasting metal colors and finishes reflects the impact of Japanese mixed-metal objects (mokume) on European as well as American decorative arts, as seen in the works by Christofle et Cie of Paris, Elkington's in Birmingham, and Tiffany & Company in New York. This jardinière was part of a series of objects produced in this style and it or a similar example was exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1878. Christofle produced variations with differing color combinations.

In 1842, Charles Christofle (1805–1863), founder of Christofle et Cie, purchased the French rights to the electroplating patent from Elkington's, the English silversmith and electroplating firm in Birmingham. By 1847, Christofle had become France's largest silver and electroplating company. Supported by Napoleon III, the company produced tablewares and other objects in the latest revival styles, including the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. Known for their excellence in design, Christofle has employed the most sought-after designers, such as Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse in the nineteenth century and Gio Ponti, Tapio Wirkkala, and Lino Sabattini in the twentieth.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Jardinière
  • Designer: Emile Reiber (1826–1893)
  • Maker: Probably by Eugène Guignard (active 1845–ca. 1878, died 1893)
  • Manufacturer: for the firm of Christofle & Cie
  • Date: ca. 1878
  • Culture: French, Paris
  • Medium: Gilt, silvered, and patinated copper and gilt bronze
  • Dimensions: 5 1/8 x 15 3/4 x 11 1/8 in. (13 x 40 x 28.3 cm)
  • Classification: Metalwork-Gilt Bronze
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Bequest of J. Pierpont Morgan, by exchange, Fletcher Fund, by exchange, Kennedy Fund, by exchange, and Rogers Fund, 1991
  • Object Number: 1991.88a, b
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Jewish Woman of Algiers, Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier French, Algerian onyx-marble, bronze, gilt bronze, enamel, and amethyst eyes; white marble socle, French, Paris
Jewish Woman of Algiers
Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier
Charles-François Rossigneux
1862
Woman from the French Colonies, Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier French, Algerian onyx-marble, bronze, and enamel; white marble socle, French, Paris
Woman from the French Colonies
Charles-Henri-Joseph Cordier
Charles-François Rossigneux
1861
Ewer, François-Desiré Froment-Meurice, Silver gilt, French, Paris
Ewer
François-Desiré Froment-Meurice
ca. 1850
Table clock with calendar, Lucien Falize French, Case: silver, partly enameled gold, hardstones, rock crystal, amethysts, and diamonds; movement: brass and steel, French, Paris
Table clock with calendar
Multiple artists/makers
1881
Bookstand, Charles-Auguste Questel, Ebony, ebony veneer, ebonized maple, oak, maple, rosewood, snakewood, ivory, mother-of-pearl; brass hardware and mounts; lined with silk velvet not original to the piece, French, Paris
Bookstand
Multiple artists/makers
1839

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.