Onyx And Bronze Neo Greek Gueridon Att. To Barbedienne And Sevin, France, C.1880
£44,788 per item
Shopping at Vinterior
-
14-day return guarantee
-
Outstanding customer service
-
Secure payment
-
Buyer protection
-
Trees planted for every purchase

Item details
Height
77.0 cm
Width
95.0 cm
Depth
95.0 cm
Diameter
95.0 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
Gueridon made in silvered and gilded bronze, composed of four claw feet decorated with lion’s head held together by crossed bars in gilded bronze. It is surmounted by a large onyx top surrounded by a frieze of ovals and beads.
The feet of these gueridons adopt a sleek design and are adorned with claws and lion heads. This model is well known in the Barbedienne Company production and it has been reused many times by his workshop. This gueridon shows how the Barbedienne Company offered a range of furniture from the designs of its decorator Louis-Constant Sévin. He designed this model of gueridon few time after he joined the Barbedienne Company in 1855 and this model can be seen on different interior decorations of the Second Empire.
1/ A tripod gueridon, a little bit higher, with feet like these ones can be seen on a picture showing the atrium of the Pompeiian house built for Prince Napoleon. Most of the Ancient style furniture was made by Charles Rossigneux (1818-1908) but this gueridon shows that the Barbedienne Company took also part to this work.
2/ A picture of the Emperor’s study at Saint-Cloud Castle demonstrates that a gueridon of the same type took place in it ; it illustrates the success of this model in the imperial family.
Some years later the Gazette des Beaux-Arts published an engraving depicting a gueridon exhibited at the 1889 Universal Exhibition. The engraving shows a gilt bronze plate resting on a tripod having identical feet and it reveals the longevity of this model inside the Barbedienne Company production. The caption mentions “Bronze plate designed by Mr Levillain and made by Mr Barbedienne (1889 Universal Exhibition)”.
Louis-Constant Sévin (1821-1888) : he was first trained to design and sculpture with the sculptor Antoine-André Marneuf (1796-1865). In 1839 he went into partnership with two sculptors, Phénix and Joyau, and he created designs for famous goldsmiths such as Denière, Froment-Meurice and Morel. He fled to London during the 1848 Revolution where he worked at Morel, with whom he exhibited art works at the 1851 Universal Exhibition. Back to France he took part to the 1855 Universal Exhibition by creating designs to the Limoges porcelain makers Jouhanneaud and Dubois. Since then he worked as head decorator at Ferdinand Barbedienne’s Company. He produced a lot of works : he designed the bronze decoration for the Paiva’s Hotel (on the Champs-Elysées avenue) and created models for Ferdinand Barbedienne. He participated in different exhibitions and was awarded at the 1862 London Universal Exhibition for the artistical excellence of the furniture items he designed and which are exhibited by Barbedienne. He also received a Gold Medal as collaborator at the 1863 Central Union of Decorative Arts Exhibition.
Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) : he created and headed at n°30 boulevard Poissonnière in Paris one of the most famous 19th century artistic bronze casting companies. He owed his reputation to his bronze casting of Ancient and modern sculptures, which subjects came from the greatest European museums, but also to his original bronze works designed in his workshop and reserved for furniture and decoration. In addition to his own production, Barbedienne worked for renowned sculptors such as Barrias, Bosio, Clésinger or Carrier-Belleuse. Awarded with two Council Medals at the 1851 London Universal Exhibition, the Barbedienne Company won at the 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition a medal of honor and eleven cooperator's medals for the work of his co-workers, designers and chasers. The success of the Barbedienne Company at the diverse international exhibitions earned it several official commissions, as providing ornamental bronze for the Pompeiian house of Prince Napoleon, about 1860, avenue Montaigne in Paris. At the 1867 Universal Exhibition in his capacity as member of and speaker for the Jury, he was non-contestant, but exhibited nevertheless with great success cloisonné and champlevé enameled pieces. Barbedienne was made an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur in 1867 and Commander in 1878 when he was compared with “a prince of industry and the king of bronze casting”. His glory did not decline with the passage of the time for at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 the critics thanked Barbedienne for the example he set for other bronze-casters by the perfection of his bronzes.
Condition report:
Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
Cancellations
We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.
Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Free collection available
Yes
Similar Side Tables
Similar Side Tables
You may also like
You may also like
More from this seller
More from this seller
Choose a Wishlist
Create Wishlist
- Ships from PARIS, France
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
We want everybody’s Vinterior experience to be seamless, so both buyers and sellers can fall in love with pre-loved. We designed our Terms of sale to treat everybody fairly.
However, sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan, and you may need to cancel or return an order.
To prevent this, we encourage you to check listings, photos and descriptions carefully before you buy. If you aren’t sure about a piece’s condition, size, provenance or shipping, just ask; click Contact seller to get in touch. Always contact your seller first if you have any queries, at any point in your purchase.
Our buyers receive the same protection when buying from all our sellers, both professional and verified.
Can I cancel an order?
There are many reasons why you might need to cancel an order, and you'll often be entitled to a refund. To cancel an order, click Create cancellation on the order page.
If you cancel your order before it has been dispatched, you will receive a full refund - including delivery costs. However, if your item has been shipped, delivery costs will not be included in your refund.
Please note: orders of bespoke, personalised or made-to-order pieces cannot be cancelled.
Can I return an order?
We understand that sometimes a piece isn’t the perfect fit. So if you no longer want your order, our returns process will ensure it finds a new home fast.
The Vinterior Guarantee included with your purchase entitles you to 14-day returns - allowing you to return any item within 14 days of the delivery date (except in specific circumstances, detailed below).
You can return your order if...
It isn't what you expected
If what arrives isn’t what you ordered, you can open a return. Just send us some photo evidence that the listing was inaccurate, misleading or misrepresented your purchased piece, and you’ll receive a refund.
You change your mind
If you don’t feel a piece is right for your space, you can return it. Once you request a change of mind return, you’ll be responsible for shipping the piece back to your seller as soon as possible. Delivery costs are non-refundable.
It's damaged in transit
In the rare event that an item arrives damaged or defective, you have a full 30 days from the date of delivery to return it for a full refund.
If your purchase arrives broken, always let us know. If Proovia delivered the piece, we can raise an insurance claim on the seller’s behalf. Or, the seller can raise a claim with their chosen courier.
What can't I return?
Just as there are some orders you can’t cancel, there are some you cant return, too. Personalised, bespoke or made-to-order pieces are non-returnable, and non-refundable. Sellers may also reject your return if the item has been altered in any way.
Please note: pieces on our site are pre-loved, not new. They may show some wear and tear; this is not sufficient grounds for a refund, unless the seller has misrepresented the item’s condition.
Lastly, neither Vinterior nor our sellers are liable for any damages or loss sustained in transit via third parties.
I'm eligible for a return. Now what?
To initiate a return, log into your Vinterior account, then go to the relevant order page and click Create a return. In the return request, be sure to include all the details: the reason for your return, an in-depth description, and photos of any issues or damage.
How will I receive my refund?
Once the seller confirms they’ve received the item (in the same condition it was sent), we will send your refund to your original payment method.
All items are inspected on return. If the seller receives the return with damage they don’t recognise, we will not be able to process your refund and the seller may need to send the piece back to you. You will be required to cover these delivery costs.