Édouard Lièvre (1828-1886), Ferdinand Barbedienne foundry (1838-1955), Jardinière, Paris, c. 1880

This jardinière is composed of several elements of various origins. The pedestal table, designed by Edouard Lièvre, was produced by the Barbedienne foundry around 1880. The dragon, made separately from the table, may be a piece of Japanese origin dating from the late nineteenth century or an exact replica made by Ferdinand Barbedienne. The lower part of the vase, signed by a workshop of the Edo period, dates back to the early nineteenth century; the upper part corresponds to Japanese models designed for export to Europe, and dates from the second half of the nineteenth century.