Napoleon III gilt-bronze ebonised pedestal with tazza surmount

This very fine antique pedestal, cast in the Napoleon III or Second French Empire style, is crafted from ebonised wood and adorned with various concentric bands of gilt-bronze decoration.

With a simple unfluted main body and comprising various carefully delineated circular elements, it is mounted on a larger circular base and surmounted by a flat, plateau-top tazza, imitative of shallow decorative dishes or bowls. The bottom of the column shaft is circled by acanthus mounts, while a hanging garlands of flowers drapes around the body of the pedestal, pinned to the body at four points.

The separate structural sections of the pedestal are demarcated by foliate and vine-like bands, interlaced with gilt beading. The simple contrast between the richly veneered black surface and the unblemished radiant gilding creates a beautiful effect, such that the work constitutes a decorative stand of exceptional grandeur and presence.