335 - A MASTERPIECE BY A JOURNEYMAN WHEELWRIGHT

A MASTERPIECE BY A JOURNEYMAN WHEELWRIGHT Reduced carriage wheel with one hub from which emerge 28 grapes on two rows of depth, painted on the rim in gold letters "L. RABRAU DIT NANTAIS * SOUVENIR DU TOUR DE FRANCE * NANTES * 1882". Mounted on a pivoting spike and resting on a Second Empire-period rectangular quadripod base in blackened stepped wood and inlaid with a double copper fillet. Nantes, 1882. By journeyman Laurent Rabrau dit Nantais. D. 23 cm (wheel). H. 33.5 x W. 22.5 x D. 13 cm. Provenance Henri Klinger Collection. History After several years of apprenticeship or training with a master craftsman, the future journeymen undertook a Tour de France, during which they acquired new technical knowledge and developed their professional experience. This tour generally ended with the creation of a masterpiece, which had to be validated by a jury. Once accepted, the young aspirant was consecrated and recognized in his profession, and awarded the title of Compagnon du Tour de France. The master staircases and other masterpieces presented in this section are the result of this process, and their wide variety allows us to appreciate the exceptional quality of execution and presentation of these creations.