GRAUX-MARLY: A FINE THIRD QUARTER 19TH CENTURY FRENCH GILT AND PATINATED BRONZE FIGURE OF A NUBIAN W

A FINE AND LARGE LATE 19TH CENTURY FRENCH GILT AND PATINATED BRONZE FIGURE OF A NUBIAN WATER CARRIER CAST BY GRAUX-MARLY, PARISthe standing figure wearing drapery revealing her left breast and a decorative necklace, an urn raised on her left shoulder, raised on a circular base cast to resemble a rush floor, signed 'GRAUX-MARLY', raised on an associated carved and ebonised cylindrical plinth with decorative chain ornament,the bronze 138cm high, 208cm high overallThis bronze is identical to one sold at Christie's, London, 19 March 2008, lot 183, £42,500. Jules Graux's foundry was based at 8 rue du Parc-Royal from 1860. By 1880 his sons M Graux-Marly took over the business from their father and their works were stamped GRAUX-MARLY or GRAUX-MARLY FRÈRES. The foundry produced bronze and gilt bronze candelabra, clocks, statuettes and other fine decorative works of art. They cast bronzes for many of the most renowned sculptors of the day including Carpeaux, Pradier, Fremiet and Carrier-Belleuse, as well as reproducing important and popular antique, Renaissance and later models. Their reputation was cemented in 1849 when they won the bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle and a first-class medal for the bronzes d'art et d'ameublement six years later.