Overall in good original condition with extensive wear to silver now showing bronze in places. The marble with minor chips to edges.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present Antonin Mercié sculpture is no casual tribute to a painting (the lost Danse du sabre un Pacha and Almeh by Jean-Leon Gérôme), but a shrewd collaboration brokered by Adolphe Goupil, the marketing-savvy art dealer and Gérôme's father-in-law.  Recent advances in the manufacture of prints, photography and bronze statuary enabled Goupil to seize new opportunities in the commission and sale of art; using engraving sales as a gauge, Goupil chose only the most popular paintings to adapt for sculpture.  He then turned to revered, successful sculptors to turn two-dimension canvas into sellable, three-dimensional bronze work.  As orchestrated by Goupil, Danse du sabre marked the meeting of two masters at the peak of their acclaim: in 1874, Mercié and Gérôme were the two sole artists to be awarded the Salon's medal of honor.