Antique French Gilt Bronze Urn After Claude Ballin Sphinx Versailles Case 19thC For Sale

Antique French Gilt Bronze Urn After Claude Ballin Sphinx Versailles Case 19thCItem Specifics

• Object Type:Urn / Centerpiece Vase
• Style:French Baroque / Louis XIV Revival
• Creator / Design After:Claude Ballin(1615–1678)
• Age:Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century (Circa 1880–1920)
• Material:Gilt Bronze / Ormolu
• Country/Region of Origin:France
• Dimensions:8.5\" Height x 7\" Width x 5.25\" Depth
• Condition:Antique condition with visible age-appropriate wear, minor gilding loss, and authentic verdigris oxidation near the base rim.

Detailed Item DescriptionTitle:Fine Antique French Gilt Bronze \"Vase aux Sphinx\" Urn – AfterClaude Ballin(Palace of Versailles Design), c. 1890Description:Up for purchase is a magnificent antique French gilt bronze decorative urn, cast as a highly detailed reduction of the celebrated garden vases designed by Claude Ballin (1615–1678) for King Louis XIV’s formal terraced gardens at the Palace of Versailles.This heavy, sand-cast bronze urn features exceptional Baroque and early neoclassical motifs. The rim is flanked by two beautifully sculpted, seated female sphinx handles on winged brackets. The body is heavily ornamented in high relief, featuring a pharaonic/classical female mask to the front, flanked by prominent lion-head medallions and circular relief portraits of classical figures. The urn stands on a turned socle foot anchored to a solid square plinth base.Condition Report:
The urn is in very good antique condition, showing beautiful age-related character. There is typical rubbing and light wear to the gilt finish, exposing a rich, deeper bronze tone underneath. The base shows authentic verdigris (green copper carbonate patina) and minor oxidation near the joints, which confirms its age and untreated antique state. Structurally sound with original central rod assembly. Please review the high-resolution photos for close-up details.Dimensions:

• Height: 8.5 inches
• Width (handle to handle): 7 inches
• Depth: 5.25 inches

Rarity & Context

• Scarcity:Moderately Rare.While grand-scale replicas of Versailles garden pots exist in marble and cast iron for estates, small-scale, high-qualitygilt bronzedesk or mantle reductions from this specific era are difficult to find. Most 19th-century French foundry pieces favored standard Medici or Borghese urn silhouettes; copies of Ballin\'s highly specificVase aux Sphinxare much scarcer on the open market.
• Desirability:Highly collectible due to the direct historical provenance tying the design to Louis XIV\'s court goldsmith and the world\'s most famous royal garden.

Why There is No LidThis item wasnever manufactured with a lid.

1. Designed as a Garden Vase:The original 17th-century marble and bronze masterpieces at Versailles were grand, open-air garden planters designed to remain open to the sky.
2. Interior Finish:The unfinished, rough casting on the inside rim confirms it was intended strictly as an open vase, a miniature planter, or a centerpiece holder rather than a closed cassolette or incense burner.

Keep in mind the shipping price also covers handling fees, packaging materials & time, not just postage.See our store for our other items.A18