Pair of ormolu mounted cloisonné enamel Chinoiserie vases

The vases in this pair are crafted from Chinese cloisonné enamel and French Chinoiserie style ormolu mounts. The ovoid body of each vase features beautiful floral sprays of a variety of types in variegated tones from red to green, the entire ensemble set above the teal enamel ground. The floral adornments are bounded by gold cloisonné wire; a distinctively Chinese style of geometric sequence, also formed from gold cloisonné wire, accents the remainder of the teal enamel ground. Each vase is mounted with an ormolu rim—the lip of which is shaped with a ruyi head frieze—and is supported by a pierced ormolu base.

The practice of combining Chinese export cloisonné enamel with French Chinoiserie bronze mounts was a popular one during the latter 19^th Century, catering to the taste for all things Chinese at that time.