French Jeweled Art Nouveau Canine Repousse Box By Alfred Daguet 1900s Antique

  

Alfred Louis Achille DAGUET (1875 - 1942) was a metalsmith active in Paris during the first part of the 20th century. His metalwork created prior to the outbreak of World War I, noteworthy for its versatility and virtuosity, is the most sought-after among collectors today. Daguet mined many sources for inspiration be they Egyptian, Celtic, Japanese, Byzantine, Medieval or contemporary. He received formal training under the painters, Gerome and Clairin, both academicians associated with the Ecole des Beaux-Arts who had traveled to Egypt and explored themes of orientalism in their work.

Daguet's studio in Paris was located at 22 rue de Provence, just above Siegfried Bing's influential L'Art Nouveau boutique. It is this association with Bing that is most significant to Daguet's metier and what firmly places his work in art historical context. These boxes which Daguet often further embellished with colored glass unquestionably reflect the tenets of the Art Nouveau aesthetic.

In addition to boasting famous clientele such as Sarah Bernhardt who followed him to his studio on rue du Faubourg Saint-Jaques following Bing's death in 1905 and the closure of his store, l'Art Nouveau, Daguet's work achieved critical success with inclusion in group expositions at the Musee Galliera, Paris, 1905, 1926; Salons of the Societe des Artistes Francais: 1900, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1909, 1910; and the Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts, 1901. Signed AD and 08 in corners. Thank you for stopping by.