decorated in blue, red, cream and green enamels and gilding with three monumental cusped cartouches containing paired birds reserved in blue, alternating with three trefoil blazons, surrounded by floral sprays containing birds, the neck and base with further blazons and registers of scrolling vines, including a band with chasing animals on the shoulder, signed in red enamel 'Brocard, Paris, 1871, Exposition'  

The International Exhibition, London, 1871

 

In overall very good condition, some rubbing to gilding on surface consistent with age and use, intact, as viewed.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A true museum piece, this elegant vase, with a characteristic squat body and tall slender neck was most probably intended for the 1871 International Exhibition held in London that year as indicated on the foot next to Brocard's signature. A large basin of the same date, also originally showcased in the same exhibition is now in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, inv. no. OAO 1143.

Since his first exhibition in the Universal Exhibition held in Paris in 1867, Brocard's fame grew as he accumulated prizes and was represented in all of the grandest fairs of the second half of the nineteenth century.