Pair of 1920s French Art Deco Garnitures, Marble & Onyx Bases

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When on that ultra-rare occasion that I’ve stumbled across a pair of “these,” I’ve asked the French merchant how to … Read more When on that ultra-rare occasion that I’ve stumbled across a pair of “these,” I’ve asked the French merchant how to call them. “Ce sont des garnitures, Monsieur.” Hmm… I always had thought that “garnitures” have something more to do with cuisine, like parsley. But, one merely needs to recall that the French dictionary is far slimmer than its American counterpart – many French words have multiple meanings.

And so here we have “garnitures.” As the term might suggest, they often had something accompanying and in between them, like a massive French mantle clock, as a matter of fact. But I consider them wonderfully decorative without their friend, Monsieur l’horloge. I am one of those who delights in symmetry, and a pair of these provides just that. They have ample scale – at 13 3/4 inches high – to easily hold their own on a mantle, a sideboard, you name it. Or together in "just the right place."

We call it “presence.”

Marble and onyx comprise the bases, which are in excellent condition. The inside marble is that very rare black with “gold veins;” the exterior a very lovely and subtle light green onyx. The French had a real knack for working with stone and this pair of garnitures bears testimony! There are some small nicks on the edges of the onyx.

The metal is solid brass with decoration applied in some now-lost French manner.

Measurements: 13 ¾ high; the bases are 4 ½ wide and deep. The width of the metal is about 4 ¾.

For the sophisticated Art Deco collector, a must! See less