25 - Émile-Louis BRACQUEMONT (1889–1970) & Octave-Denis-Victor GUILLONNET (1872–1967)

Émile-Louis BRACQUEMONT (1889–1970) & Octave-Denis-Victor GUILLONNET (1872–1967) Rare “de Blois” vase. Made of a hard, so-called “new” clay, the body is decorated with four circular medallions in a “clay-on-clay” technique depicting four Olympic sports—soccer, rowing, rugby, and swimming, on a gray background; each medallion is encircled by a stylized green laurel wreath, set against a speckled lapis blue background decorated with rising brown and gold laurel branches; the tapered neck is decorated with a flight of biplanes encircled by a blue border in reserve on a gray background. Sèvres National Porcelain Manufactory, 1924. Manufactory stamp “S / 1924 / DN”; decor mark “RF/ Décoré à Sèvres / 1924”; painter and sculptor’s mark “O. D. V. Guillonet inv. / Bracquemond sc.”; gilder’s mark O; export mark “Made in France.” H.: 33.5 cm. Good overall condition. Related works: A complete series of his four vases held at the Musée du Petit Palais, Paris (inv. OGAL487, OGAL488, OGAL489, and OGAL490). A vase sold at Grossetti OVV on June 8, 2024, lot 208 (sold for €15,860 and purchased under the right of first refusal by the National Sports Museum in Nice). A vase sold at Coutau-Bégarie on December 14, 2019, lot 33 (sold for €5,410). A vase held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, donated by the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts (inv. 6363). This porcelain vase is part of a commission of 323 pieces, all of which were presented to the gold medalists of the 1924 Paris Olympic Games. Each is adorned with four bas-relief medallions depicting athletic scenes against a background of laurel leaves, and there are four series of vases featuring different sports. Due to the late delivery date of these vases, most were shipped to their foreign recipients via the embassies and legations of the respective countries. Produced by the prestigious Sèvres Manufactory, these vases embody the technical mastery and prestige of French craftsmanship. The decoration was created by Octave Guillonnet (Paris, 1872–Montgeron, 1967), a painter known first for his Orientalist and Symbolist compositions and later for his sports paintings. Notably, he exhibited a monumental “Rugby Match” at the 1899 Salon. He was also a member of the Society of Sports Painters and Sculptors from its founding in 1922.