Empire Swan Crystal Centrepiece Bowl with Gilt Brass Mounts

LE 7,000.00

Design & Inspiration

The swan was Napoleon's chosen emblem of grace and imperial ambition — it appeared on the beds of Joséphine, the gilt furniture of Fontainebleau, and the silver services of the Tuileries. This centrepiece bowl faithfully reproduces that defining Empire motif: a cast brass swan in full pose, neck arched, wings spread with a carved rose at their centre, forming one handle of an oval crystal bowl. The opposing handle rises as a scrolled foliate terminal, balancing the composition with Neoclassical restraint. Faithfully reproduced in the tradition of the Consulate and Empire period (1800–1830), this piece carries the visual language of Percier and Fontaine's decorative vocabulary into the modern table.

Materials & Craftsmanship

The bowl itself is precision-cut crystal, its surface worked in a dense grid of hobstar and crosshatch cuts that fracture and multiply light across a room. The upper rim is clasped by a gilt brass band, chased with a running foliate border that transitions seamlessly into the swan mount. The swan figure — neck, beak, feathers, and the central rose — is individually cast and hand-finished in brass, each feather line sharpened by hand after casting. The base is a separately cast gilt brass platform with acanthus-leaf relief and four small scroll feet, elevating the crystal column above the table surface to create a sense of formal ceremony. This is handcrafted work: no two pieces will be identical in the fine detail of the chasing.

Dimensions & Details

Weight: 4 kg. Dimensions: N/A — please contact Brass & Wood for precise measurements. The piece is supplied as a single assembled unit requiring no assembly.

Handcrafted in Egypt

Every piece leaving the Brass & Wood atelier in Egypt is the product of trained hands working in a tradition that connects European decorative arts to Egyptian craft skill. The brass components are cast, hand-chased, and finished locally; the crystal bowl is sourced and paired for clarity and cut quality. The result is a centrepiece that carries the authority of a European original at a fraction of its rarity — honest in what it is, uncompromising in how it is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials is this centrepiece made from?

The bowl is precision-cut crystal. All mounts — the swan figure, rim band, and footed base — are cast brass with a hand-applied finish. No wood components are present in this piece.