Alphonse Tahan

ALPHONSE TAHAN (Belgium, 1830-Paris, 1880).
Nineteenth century tabletop jewelry box.
Gilt bronze with hand-painted porcelain plates with landscapes, characters and borders.
Maroon cloth lined interior.
Engraved signature.
It has a key.
Measurements: 16 x 22 x 15 cm.

Alphonse Tahan was the official master cabinetmaker of the French Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, the Empress Eugénie. The empress, who set the trends of the day, was considered to have impeccable taste and favored Tahan's workshop, which greatly enhanced his reputation. In addition to furniture, he manufactured quality items, both in bronze and in wood and porcelain. The jewelry box shown here is a type of delicate object in great demand by Parisian high society, as were his sewing boxes. Gallant scenes and romantic landscapes painted on porcelain plates decorate the four sides and the lid of the jewelry box, which has a gilded bronze core worked with moldings and fine chiseled borders.

At the age of 19, he had already opened a store at 30 Rue de la Paix, in the heart of Paris. Tahan achieved fame as a craftsman known for creating delicate and varied pieces. His work, typical of the Second Empire, combined a classical formality reminiscent of the late 18th century with the sumptuous use of expensive materials. His pieces came to be coveted by the Parisian aristocracy. In 1978 he moved his store to the Boulevard des Italiens, but died two years later. His works were in great demand throughout Europe, where they were exhibited at the London Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851 and the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1855, receiving medals on both occasions. His son Jean Pierre Alexandre Tahan continued the business after his father's death.