Exhibitions: Vienna World's Fair of 1873; Central Exhibition of the UCAD in Paris of 1874; Paris World's Fair of 1878; Paris World's Fair of 1889.

It was at the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris that Christofle presented their first cloisonné enamels, most of which were designed by Émile Reiber (1826-1893). These pieces were a resounding success, some of them being acquired by what would become the Victoria and Albert Museum. Christofle enamels are instantly recognizable and possess a unique depth: the soft tones of the fused and vitrified matte colors form velvety surfaces punctuated by a coarse grain that gives them movement. Émile Reiber, recruited in 1865 as head of design and composition at Christofle for "pieces executed using the new inlay and enameling techniques," was one of the first to promote Japanese art as a source of renewal for the French industrial arts. Hailed as the "high priest of Japonisme", he spent entire days sketching the Asian pieces in the Oriental Museum, an exhibition conceived by the Central Union, or in the collection of Henri Cernuschi in 1873, then in the collection of Siegfried Bing presented in 1876, thus producing drawings of hundreds of pieces with shapes and decorations of infinite variety.

Our set, comprising a cachepot with handles imitating bamboo and two cornucopia vases with handles shaped like apples and pine branches, is a perfect example, both formally and decoratively, of this artistic collaboration. Each piece rests on a gilt and patinated bronze base decorated with bamboo, apples, and pine branches, designed in imitation of Asian models. For the vegetal decoration, Reiber drew inspiration from the floral motifs of wisteria, the emblematic flower of Japan, and acacia. The red background and celadon green motifs combine beautifully with the yellow, white, blue, and green ornaments of the flowers and leaves. The two original drawings (inv. CH 233 and CH 322) for the decoration of the cornet vase and the cachepot are preserved in the archives of the Bouilhet Christofle Conservatory; drawing CH 233 is dated January 1874.

According to the archives, the cachepot was created for the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873, the vases were created in 1874 for the central exhibition of the UCAD in Paris in 1874 (Central Union of Decorative Arts) where they were presented with the cachepot; the set was then presented at the Universal Exhibitions of Paris in 1878 and 1889. The vases were adapted into candelabras by the addition of a pine cone girandole on a design probably by Charles-Henri Godin for the 1878 exhibition.

Regarding our pieces, the cachepot was made in 1873, vase no. 861196 in 1874, and vase 945410 in 1877/1878. The date 1886 appearing on the bird stamp may have been added later (source: Christofle archives).

These enamel pieces, expensive and complex to produce, were rarely manufactured in large quantities.