Pair of cassolettes in veined grey marble - Lot 82

Pair of cassolettes in veined grey marble Chased and gilded bronze trimmings featuring ram heads holding garlands of flowers. The neck and pedestal decorated with a frieze of pearls. The lid handles feature pine cones. Marked under one of the lids "Susse Frères" and numbered "24 D". Louis XVI style, Napoleon III period Height: 48.5 cm (approx.) NOTICE Susse Frères is one of France's oldest and most prestigious art foundries, founded in the early 19th century. Specializing in the casting of bronze sculptures, the company played a crucial role in disseminating the works of the great sculptors of its time. During the Napoleon III era (1852-1870), Susse Frères established itself as a key player in the art foundry sector, responding to a growing demand for bronze sculptures and decorations, a material highly prized in the bourgeois and aristocratic interiors of the period. The Napoleon III era was characterized by a marked taste for opulence and eclecticism, and bronze sculpture took pride of place in the interior decoration of palaces and private mansions. The Second Empire style favored luxury objects, complex ornamentation and a variety of historical references, from Baroque to Neoclassicism. Art bronzes became essential elements in the salons, offices and libraries of the elite. Thanks to its expertise and technical mastery, Susse Frères produced works of great finesse, often resulting from collaborations with renowned sculptors such as Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Antoine-Louis Barye, and later Auguste Rodin. Alongside Susse Frères, other major foundries of the period played an equally essential role in the production and distribution of art bronzes. These included the Barbedienne foundry, founded by Ferdinand Barbedienne, one of the most renowned for its reproductions of antique sculptures and its support for contemporary artists such as Clésinger and Frémiet. The Thiébaut Frères foundry is also a major name in this period, known for its monumental achievements, notably in public statuary and commemorative monuments. The Napoleon III era, with its taste for pomp and luxury, stimulated a veritable "bronze fever", and foundries like Susse Frères were able to respond to this demand by producing works of the highest quality. The company perfected casting techniques and introduced the practice of numbering works, thus ensuring the authenticity and rarity of the pieces. Thanks to these innovations and collaboration with renowned sculptors, Susse Frères has become a benchmark in the history of the French art foundry, helping to define the prestige of bronze sculpture in the 19th century and beyond.