393. 393W Pair of large ormolu and patinated bronze groups by Graux Marly to a design by Charles-Hippolyte Buhot, representing water carriers, second half of the 19th century A pair of gilt and patinated bronze large groups of water carriers by Graux Marly Foundry, based on a design by Louis-Charles-Hippolyte Buhot, second half of the 19th Century The standing figures, with jewelled necklace, draped dress and headdress, carrying on their shoulder a twin-handled Egyptian style vase with engraved decoration, on a wicker pattern circular base, each base signed and inscribed 'GRAUX MARLY FT DE BRONZES A PARIS' and 'CH BUHOT SCULP', 29cm wide, 136cm high (11in wide, 53 1/2in high) Provenance Private Italian noble collection. Louis-Charles-Hippolyte Buhot (1815-1865) was born in Paris and studied under the French sculptor and medalist David d'Angers. Buhot entered the Ecole des Beaux Arts at the age of seventeen, and soon exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon from 1837 until the year he died in 1865, and produced numerous portrait medallions, busts and statuettes, including, Sara the Bather (1851), Hope feeding the Chimera (1855) and Jupiter and Hebe (1865). Jules Graux-Marly operated a small foundry known as Graux-Marly Frères. Based at 8, rue du Parc-Royal in Paris, the foundry was well-respected for producing high quality figurative sculptures and decorative ornaments. It won a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle in 1849 and a first-class medal for the bronzes d'art et d'ameublement in 1855. The activity of the foundry was later continued by his sons. Orientalism was a long standing subject of fascination for Westerners, with depictions of exoticism from far away places and cultures. Opposed to the neo-classicism movement, orientalism was popularized in 19th century sculpture by interpretations of exotic figural scenes, tropical birds and animals and lavishly dressed exotic figures. There was a real interest in ethnography, in the unknown. The production of these 19th century pieces showed the latest manufacturing technical advances, resulting in the highest possible quality wares. An identical single sculpture was sold Christie's King Street, 19th Century Furniture, Sculpture and Works of Art sale, 19 March 2008, lot 183, for £42,500 (incl. premium). While a pair of related candelabra torchères of monumental proportions, attributed to the same Parisian foundry Graux-Marly, depicting a couple of exotic draped and jewelled hunters holding on their shoulders children carrying aloft the crystal ormolu palm-tree shaped bouquet, sold Christie's, 22 November 2022, 'The Exceptional sale', lot 34, €113,400 (incl. premium). A second similar pair of 24-light candelabra-torchères was acquired at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1855 by the Emperor Napoleon III, and later entered the collections of the château de Compiègne on 18th November, 1858 (inventory number C16525 (inv. of 1855), C470c (inv. of 1894)).