Frédéric-Jules RUDOLPHI (1808 - 1872) - Lot 151

Frédéric-Jules RUDOLPHI (1808 - 1872) Silver (950) and vermeil pedestal bowl, the body decorated with niello and chased foliage, adorned on two sides with cut-out leathers held by flowering branches and topped on one side with the coat of arms, partly enameled, of the town of Boulogne sur Mer. One of the medallions bears the inscription "A ALEX. ADAM MAIRE. LA VILLE DE BOULOGNE RECONNAISSANTE. 1844" on an amati background, the second decorated with a harbor landscape bordered by a railroad track and inscribed "LOI DU 26 JUILLET 1844 CHEMIN DE FER D'AMIENS A BOULOGNE". The neck features a motif of applied mascarons and is flanked by two handles stylizing chimeras and birds from which two putti hang. The shaft is adorned with mascarons, the foot with a rich Neo-Renaissance decoration of swans resting on dolphins in the waves. The rounded base is adorned with friezes of fleurons on an amati background, lions' heads and applied masks. Title: Minerve 1er titre (1838-1973) - Goldsmith's hallmark: F.R., a bird's wing, a wheel. Gross weight: 6.890 gr Certainly missing an element at the top, a drape to be reattached, gilding wear, minor chips and accidents. The work of Dane Frédéric-Jules RUDOLPHI (1808 - 1872) is perfectly in keeping with the Neo-Renaissance style so dear to his master Charles Wagner (1799-1841), with whom he created spectacular pieces that were acclaimed by the jury at Universal Expositions and coveted by a wealthy international clientele. More than a style, the artist here uses the niello silver technique patented by Wagner in October 1829, which allows for rich decoration while avoiding an accumulation of applique elements. This bowl was commissioned by the inhabitants of Boulogne-sur-Mer in honor of Monsieur Alexandre Adam (1790-1886), mayor of the town and general councillor of the Pas-de-Calais, who had worked on the arrival of a railway line in Boulogne. Two thousand ninety-three subscribers took part. Two other items were presented to him on this occasion, a sword of honor voted by the town council and a vermeil vase by the Chamber of Commerce. Bibliography: - F. MORAND, L'année historique de Boulogne-sur-Mer. Recueil de faits et d'événements intéressant l'histoire de cette ville, etc., Librairie de Mme Vve Déligny, Boulogne-sur-Mer, 1859, p.166. Bibliographical sources: Karolina Stefanski and Marie-Elise Dupuis, "Wagner et Rudolphi, Deux orfèvres-bijoutiers virtuoses" in Objets d'art, April 27, 2023