Musée Mandet

photo: ville de Riom

As of January, the Musée Mandet in Riom has reopened after one year of extensive renovations. Installed in two hôtels particuliers, one classic, built with distinctive volcanic stone of Volvic from the 18th century and the other mostly built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally founded in 1866 to display the portraits of important personalities of the Auvergne region, the museum rapidly expanded its art collections with paintings and sculptures from Antiquity to the 19th century.

 "The musée Mandet underwent a spectacular development in 1983. Boosted by a donation from the Richard spouses, art amateurs and collectors from Riom, it doubled its exhibition area and bought some

1500 pieces - paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewels, ivories, tapestries, furniture, enamels, copperware and silver and gold plate – that illustrate the main periods of the history of art, up to the XIXth century. These rich collections, in particular the civilian gold and silver pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries, were the point of departure in 1990 for the creation of a fund of contemporary decorative art based on gold and silver plate, from the 1950s to our day, under the impulse of Marie Josée Linou, chief curator of the museums of

Riom Communauté."

art-of-the-day

Now that you have a bit of background information, enjoy these beautiful comtemporary pieces. You can find more by following the link.

Hiroshi Suzuki (born 1961 in Miyagi, Japan), vase Aqua Poesy IX, 2005, silver © Karine Joannet - Vice-Versa

Mike Sharpe (born 1979), Teapot bug, 2003, silver plated copper © Karine Joannet - Vice-Versa

Marie Ducaté ,Vase Homme-papillons femmes-papillons, dans les fleurs 2000.
Dépôt du FNAC © Karine Joannet - Vice-Versa

photos of 3 art works from art-of-the-day



la Saint-Valentin

photos: Le style et la matière

Modesty gives in

to Love

La Pudeur cède à l'Amour

1853

by  Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Debay: le Fils

Château de Fontainebleau

Lionize

door knocker Avignon

"Some 2500 years ago, a Greek artist conceived the strange idea of putting a movable ring into the mouth of a lion, or rather of combining two traditional elements, an artistic and a utilitarian one, by uniting a lion protome with a swinging handle.

image: ferlosio

 "The new art form, once created, lived on everywhere and became almost immortal. It would never have been so successful if its appeal had been so simple that it could be expressed in a short formula. As in every 'success story' there were many contributory factors and ambiguity played a considerable part. The figure of the lion was the traditional guardian of the dwelling and belongings of the living and the dead. Human pride could find immense satisfaction in imposing on the fiercest of beasts a most menial task. And in addition, a playful element slipped in. The homo ludens made the lion into a performing animal, frightened by it and at the same time showing superiority over it."

Lion Masks with Rings in the West and the East

Otto Kurz

carved lions in Paris

Our guardians, our protectors, our pets.

Inside and outside, we have tried to tame the beast. Even without a ring in his mouth, the idea is just

about the same.

image: touregypt

Egyptian chair with lion feet

image: Pierre Bergé et Associés

Ceramic stool formed from four sphinxes with their lion feet as its base, enamel seat decorated with military figures and a goose. Dating from 1900, it was inspired by an Egyptian or Greek antiquity.

Renaissance table Musée des beaux-arts de Tours

image: Pierre Bergé et Associés

Oak chair featuring back carved with a lion holding a shield. Seat and legs sculpted to imitate fur and with feet ending in lion paws. Provenance and date not stated.

curio: oak furiture remnant

                                        

oak floor lamp

Napoléon III oval rosewood dining table

Animal elements, especially relating to lions,  have been prominent throughout furniture history 

--but  seem to be accumulating only recently in my own home.

photo: Lion d'or of Rocamador

To look at the subject from another point of view, if you ever wondered why so many hotels were named

au lion d'or throughout France, it's simple:

au lit on dort.

This playful message signaled to the weary traveler where he could find sleep at last in a near-by inn.



photo: rita bucheit ltd

Empire bed of mahogany attributed to Jacob

In bed we sleep.



7 Things

Thank you to Julieta, who makes my mouth water with delicious recipes at Lindaraxa, and who has honored me with the stylish blogger award. I'm an off-and-on blogger these days so I was very happy to know I had not been forgotten! To comply with the requirements of the award, I am showing you 7 Things about myself.

 mirror (miroir sorcière):

here i am looking at you looking at me

 lamp made from a brule parfum:

my favorite these days

Murano glass:

color joyful color

tabatière:

always two sides to every story...no comedy and tragedy here

color again:

for smoother, brighter smiles

Delft cat:

pattern and pout 

desk:

and here i sit, grigris added for your benefit.

Please look through my blog list at "Visit" on the sidebar to see the other stylish bloggers

I enjoy and recommend.