Tray - Louis XV - Bronze - Classical bas-reliefs






Master marquetry craftswoman with 4 years' expert experience. Trainee auctioneer at Sotheby's Paris.
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Bronze tray in Louis XV style from France, in good used condition with small signs of age and imperfections, measuring 50 cm high, 26 cm wide and 5 cm deep, gold colour with classical bas-reliefs.
Description from the seller
It's a bronze tray in the Louis XV style that displays that ornamental language so characteristic of French Rococo: flowing curves, theatrical elegance, and a sense of continuous movement that runs through the entire piece. The bronze, masterfully worked, shows a warm, deep gilding that enhances every relief and turns the surface into a small decorative stage.
In the center, the classical bas-reliefs add a touch of solemnity within Rococo dynamism: vegetal motifs, scrolls, perhaps softly modeled allegorical scenes that emerge delicately from the metal. That combination — Rococo fantasy and classical iconography — is very typical of the Louis XV taste, where exuberant ornamentation coexisted with cultured and refined references.
The two robust handles on the sides balance the piece: their curved, ornate shape not only facilitates use but extends the sinuous line of the design, integrating as an essential part of the composition. They are handles that speak of functionality, but also of presence, of that desire to turn even a utilitarian object into a decorative work.
Overall, it is a tray that embodies the essence of the Louis XV style: grace, movement, restrained luxury, and craftsmanship that turns bronze into living matter.
Tracked shipping and careful packaging.
Seller's Story
It's a bronze tray in the Louis XV style that displays that ornamental language so characteristic of French Rococo: flowing curves, theatrical elegance, and a sense of continuous movement that runs through the entire piece. The bronze, masterfully worked, shows a warm, deep gilding that enhances every relief and turns the surface into a small decorative stage.
In the center, the classical bas-reliefs add a touch of solemnity within Rococo dynamism: vegetal motifs, scrolls, perhaps softly modeled allegorical scenes that emerge delicately from the metal. That combination — Rococo fantasy and classical iconography — is very typical of the Louis XV taste, where exuberant ornamentation coexisted with cultured and refined references.
The two robust handles on the sides balance the piece: their curved, ornate shape not only facilitates use but extends the sinuous line of the design, integrating as an essential part of the composition. They are handles that speak of functionality, but also of presence, of that desire to turn even a utilitarian object into a decorative work.
Overall, it is a tray that embodies the essence of the Louis XV style: grace, movement, restrained luxury, and craftsmanship that turns bronze into living matter.
Tracked shipping and careful packaging.
