Ceramic column, Manufacture de Longchamp, circa 1880.

The centrepiece of this remarkable creation is its floral relief, an embodiment of the period’s fascination with botany and the grace of the natural world. The relief features a profusion of meticulously crafted flowers, each petal and leaf shaped with meticulous attention to detail. Slightly curved vines wrap around the circumference of the column, creating an impression of movement and life.