Rare 19th-century Medici urn - marked Val D'Osne 15¼"

An elegant Medici urn from a private collection in France dating from the mid-nineteenth century. Made and marked by the prestigious foundry, Val D'Osne, this cast iron urn features molded grape motifs covering its two handles and decorating its curved form. Renowned for creating cast iron pieces of the highest quality, Val D'Osne is celebrated worldwide and known particularly for their planters and fountains made for the Palace of Versailles.

The Val d'Osne company was an art foundry founded in 1835 by Jean Pierre Andre Victor, inventor of cast iron ornamental technique. quickly became the largest production of artistic cast iron in France. The Universal Exhibition of 1851 in London at the Crystal Palace gave it international recognition. In addition to their work at the Palace of Versailles, the first Wallace fountains in Paris were produced by the Val d'Osne foundry. Their activity ceased in 1986, thus making these original pieces increasingly rare.