Provenance

Sold by the Revolutionary government in 1797 and bought by George IV from Robert Fogg for £157 10s; the entry in his bill dated 28 September 1812 reads: ‘2 Sèvres Vases, Arabesque finely mounted’. They were entered by Benjamin Jutsham in the Carlton House receipts’ ledger in October 1812: ‘Two Seve Porcelaine Vases Arabesque ornaments – with Goat Handles in Or Molu [annotated in the Remarks column] in Store, now in Anti Room Basement Storey’. A later annotation in pencil records their despatch to Royal Lodge (date unspecified).

Pierre-Philippe Thomire was the outstanding Parisian bronzeur and gilder of the early nineteenth century. He supplied finely chased mounts to leading Parisien ébénistes for furniture, clocks and the Sèvres porcelain factory. He was much patronised by Napoleon who made him Ciseleur de l'Empereur. His work represents some of the finest examples of Empire style.

In 1804 he acquired business of the marchand-mercier, Martin-Eloi Lignereux. The company employed a large workforce in a workshop at rue Boucherat and a showroom at rue Taitbout, from where Thomire retailed a large range of decorative objects inspired by antiquity including candelabra, extravagant centrepieces, clock cases and monumental Greek and Roman style urns and vases.

Thomire collaborated with three partners, renaming the business for a time Thomire, Duterme et Cie. The business suffered as a result of France's continuing European hostilities and to avoid bankruptcy the firm was granted dispensation to trade with the Prince Regent . Soon after 1815 the partnership with Duterme was dissolved and, under the old style, Thomire et Cie thrived once more under the restored Bourbons.

Thomire retired in 1823 and his two sons-in-law, Louis-Auguste-Cesar Carbonelle and André-Antoine Beauvisage, continued the business until 1852. Thomire continued to work as a sculptor and exhibited regularly at the Salon until 1834.