This lamp was manufactured after 1869 by the Gaudard firm in Morbier, in the Jura area of France, and the company is still active today. It bears witness to the progress in oil-powered lighting in the second half of the 19th century and was aimed at customers who were fairly financially well-off.
In 1847, the sculptor was commissioned by the Sainte Croix church administration board to create new sculptures for the building, which was in the process of being restored. In 1849, he presented a model of the altar of Saint Hubert, which was to be made at a later date. The centre of this lavish altar was intended to house, like jewel box, the statue of the saint, surrounded by reliefs depicting the key points in his life.
This remarkable lamp graced living rooms, dining rooms and offices in England and the USA during three quarters of the 19th century.
Kris
19th century
Indonesia, Sumatra ? Uncertain provenance.
In May 2020, the Grand Curtius is Highlighting this medal portraying Queen Elisabeth, originally intended, during the World War I, to reward anyone who has devoted a year to war reliefs. The medal, with a red cross under the ribbon, was intended especially for health care workers and nurses whose quiet devotion and sacrifice greatly helped to ease the suffering of many sick and wounded.
In this month of intense medical activity, the Grand Curtius is highlighting this Delft earthenware pharmacy jar dating from the early 18th century, found in the Bavarian hospital. The inscription at the centre of the jar provides information about its contents: the Andromachean theriac, from the Greek thêriakos meaning "that which concerns poisonous beasts". A remedy sometimes adulated, sometimes denounced, let it take you on a journey through the centuries of its history, from Ancient Greece to the mysterious pharmacies of Liège, not forgetting the doctor of Emperor Nero, whose name it will retain.
A few days before the celebration of the International Women's Rights Day, the Grand Curtius honors this revisiting of the Ramayana, a true pillar of the Hindu religion, contesting the achievements of King Ramah as well as the reputation of his wife, judged guilty of a fault she had not committed. By giving him the floor and the opportunity to give his version of the facts, the artists Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar revisit the violence suffered by women yesterday and today, and stand against the male oppression that has so far guided the reading of the events recounted in the epic.
In this month of February 2020, we evoke the figure of Henri Vieuxtemps, violinist and composer born on february 17, 1820, whose we are celebrating the 200th anniversary.
The Object of the Month which inaugurates the year 2020 is a calendar; to look at the time, cycles, organization and evolution of societies...
Since 2007, the foundation of public utility "Liège Patrimoine" has been working to promote, restore and extand Liège's heritage. For the objects of the Month of December, the Foundation lends us two exceptional works from the bequest of Mr Gérard Lefèvre in 2018.