No. 2057 / Fine French Japonisme Gilt-Bronze Mounted Hand-Carved Crystal Centerpiece

A fine French Japonisme gilt-bronze mounted crystal centerpiece of exceptional quality, circa 1880. The oval crystal bowl is entirely hand-carved, etched, and acid-washed with a naturalistic aquatic design of water lilies, lily pads, and aquatic grasses, the matted and clear finishes contrasting to striking effect. It is cradled within a beautifully cast and chased gilt-bronze frame modeled as lotus blossoms, buds, and lily pads on trailing stems, raised on a base cast with a running-spiral wave band and stylized cloud brackets on bracket feet — the whole in the aquatic Japonisme taste that flourished in Paris in the 1870s and 1880s. A rare and decorative centerpiece of table-length scale.  The gilding with minor wear consistent with age and use.