Henry Dasson Egyptian Granite and Bronze Urns

Henry Dasson used grey granite from the famed Aswan quarries in Egypt to craft this pair of rare and important urns. Aswan was the location from which ancient Egyptian builders quarried the rare granite used in burial chambers and sarcophagi found in the pyramids at Giza. Each urn is designed in the neoclassical taste and complemented with exquisite doré bronze crafted by Dasson. While other cabinet makers relied on other bronziers for decorations, Dasson handmade and chased all of his own bronze adornments. These, depicting detailed ram’s heads and charming holly garlands, are of exceptional quality. To find such outstanding examples of Dasson's work, taken from the same quarries utilized for the grand pyramids of Egypt, is truly extraordinary. Henry Dasson made his mark as a Parisian cabinetmaker early in his career and garnered favor with the most important figures in the French aristocracy. The wife of Emperor Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie, made Dasson her personal ébéniste or cabinetmaker. Like many others, Eugenie was so impressed by Dasson's skill and refinement that she commissioned numerous works to adorn her royal residences. Dasson reflected on the designs of the 18th century and was able to vastly improve upon the methods by which those designs were created. Using more sophisticated tools, Dasson became renowned for his magnificent and technically superior dore bronze work. These urns are a testament to Dasson's brilliant craftsmanship. Signed and dated "Henry Dasson 1885" 20 1/2" high x 10 1/2" wide x 8 1/2" deep Read more