Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Founded by one-time Parisian wallpaper dealer Ferdinand Barbedienne and engineer Achille Collas, one of the most revered foundries in 19th-century France began with the invention of a revolutionary 1830s-era device that could produce proportional reproductions — large or small — of sculptures. Collas’s machine, which yielded miniature likenesses of antiquities for the interiors of homes the world over, was pivotal to the success of the F. Barbedienne Foundry. The successful firm earned prestigious awards and critical acclaim and created exquisite bronze candleholders, clocks and lamps for a range of wealthy and prominent clients.
The duo first launched their company under the name Société Collas et Barbedienne, and early on, they optimized chemical processes for pigmenting and patinating their bronze statuettes. After Collas died in 1859, Barbedienne forged on alone, and the company’s name changed to simply F. Barbedienne.
Barbedienne employed more than 300 workers at that point, and the Maison created a range of furnishings and decorative objects that featured the integration of marble and ormolu accents. However, with the onset of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the foundry was forced to retrofit its molds, and the production of cannons replaced sculptures, furniture and vases.
When Ferdinand Barbedienne passed away in 1891, his nephew and heir, Gustave Leblanc, took over as president, changing the name to Leblanc-Barbedienne. Leblanc expanded production into Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, carrying on the company's legacy with monumental sculptures, and models and securing production rights for famous statues. Paul-Alexandre Dumas, an Art Nouveau maker and student of Louis Majorelle, succeeded Leblanc until the company's closing in 1952.
Barbedienne pieces had been exhibited regularly in the 19th century and were especially prevalent at Europe’s international expositions and world’s fairs, where they received numerous prizes. Today, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris holds dozens of Barbedienne works in its collection, including intricate mirrors, vases and cups created by Louis-Constant Sévin at the foundry. For more than two decades, Sévin created lamps, boxes and more at Maison Barbedienne. Working alongside award-winning chaser Désiré Attarge, Sévin designed Napoleon III-era works that greatly appealed to European nobility.
Other notable artists who collaborated with Barbedienne included Eugene Aizelin, Emmanuel Fremiet, Antonin Mercié, Emile Guillemin, Edouard Lievre, Ferdinand Levillain and Auguste Rodin.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique Ferdinand Barbedienne decorative objects, lighting and more.
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Bronze, Enamel
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Griotte Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
2010s British Louis XV Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Giltwood
Late 19th Century European Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble, Ormolu, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble, Bronze
1880s French Louis XVI Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Agate, Ormolu, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble
Late 19th Century French Louis XV Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Belle Époque Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Bronze, Enamel
19th Century French Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Metal
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble
Early 1900s Unknown Neoclassical Revival Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Metal
20th Century French Louis XV Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Marble
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Ormolu
19th Century French Greco Roman Antique Ferdinand Barbedienne Centerpieces
Onyx, Bronze, Enamel
