Napoleon III "a vela" side table made of solid wood and painted papier-mâché, 19th century. The top consists of an octagonal top, made of papier-mâché, on which a detailed and colorful floral composition has been admirably hand-painted. A marvelous openwork border, also made of papier-mâché, has been added to the top, embellished with pure gold decorations. Very special is the lacquered solid wood leg, excellently worked with patterns that connect elegantly and harmoniously; three curved feet depart from it, and the whole is adorned with elaborate decorations in pure gold. Very practical is the sail top, a system invented in England in the Victorian period, which can be placed vertically where more space is needed. The coffee table was made by skilled master craftsmen in the Napoleon III style in a Paris workshop between 1880 and 1883. The technique of "papier maché" (mixture of paper and natural glues) has been known in China since 200 BC. (Han dynasty), later spreading throughout the East; papier-mâché was used to make helmets, shields, ceremonial masks, boxes and other decorative objects; in Europe it appeared around 1725 and soon this technique spread to the various European countries for the production of valuable artistic and ornamental works; in fact, in no other material have we seen and see so many decorative techniques applied as in this one, where lacquering, patination, gilding and the finest paintings have their highest expression. The reliability of paper mache creations is greater than we can imagine: objects made 300/400 years ago have come down to us in excellent condition. Paper mache had its greatest use from the 16th to the 20th century, particularly in France and Russia. During the reign of Napoleon III (1852-1870) there was a real revival of past styles such as the early Empire but the eclecticism that characterized the period, made it more graceful, refined and elegant by incorporating neo-Gothic, neo-Renaissance and Oriental elements; the coffee table belongs precisely to this aesthetic current. The coffee table is in excellent condition, only in some parts the pure gold appears worn but this makes the object much more fascinating and historically interesting.
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SILVER Seller in Firenze, Italy
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