Essex Jewelry and Antiques

Ornate 1870s Pair French Bronze Grecian Kantharos Style Urns w Black Stone Bases

$1,597.00

Presented is an exceptional quality pair of antique patinated bronze urns on black stone bases, likely French, dating to around the 1870s. The urns themselves are fabulously cast in classical Grecian kantharos form, with wide set curving handles and a round pedestal foot. The handles have acanthus leaf designs on the sides, and the sides of the basin have clusters of grapes, thyrsus staves and rhyton drinking horns adorning one side, with a cluster of grapes, syrinx pan flute and aulos flute on the other. The surface of the bronze itself has a laurel wreath design against a textured finish. The corners of the stone bases have finely cast Hermes masks complete with winged cap, and even the bronze feet supporting the stone bases are cast in a very ornate and decorative style with foliate and scroll motifs. An incredibly impressive and eye-catching pair of ornaments. Possibly original to a mantle clock garniture set and easy to display in that fashion with a central bronze or clock of your choosing, but entirely worth display on their as a very striking pair.

This pair of urns is in excellent condition. The patina of the bronze is in great shape. The stone bases have no chips or cracks, but one does have an abrasion to the back side, visible in the eighth photo. The bronze has no breaks or repairs.

These urns stand about 12 7/8 inches tall at the highest point of the handles and measure about 11 1/8 inches across the handles. The bases measure about 6 1/2 by 5 inches.

The total weight for this pair of urns is 23lbs 13 ounces or 10.8 kilograms. Please be aware -jm