Brushed Steel and Brass Round Guéridon with Seahorse Head Supports, French Work in the Style of Maison Jansen, circa 1970

This enchanting circular guéridon is supported by finely cast brass seahorse heads that emerge from the slender brushed steel structure with remarkable sculptural flair. The seahorse — hippocampus — has long been a favored motif in French decorative arts, evoking the mythological sea horses that drew Neptune's chariot through the waves. Here, their graceful curving forms provide a counterpoint of warm, gilded brass against the cool precision of the brushed steel, creating a piece of considerable visual sophistication.

Made around 1970 in the manner of Maison Jansen, this guéridon reflects the prestigious Paris decorating firm's celebrated approach to reviving classical and fantastical motifs within a framework of rigorous craftsmanship. Maison Jansen, founded by the Dutch-born Henri Jansen in 1880 and later directed by the legendary Stéphane Boudin, was renowned for its eclectic mastery of historical styles and its ability to blend mythological and natural imagery with the finest materials — as this seahorse guéridon so eloquently demonstrates.

The combination of brushed steel and gilt brass is characteristic of the sophisticated metalwork that distinguished French luxury furniture of the 1960s and 1970s, when designers increasingly explored the expressive potential of contrasting finishes and materials. This guéridon is in excellent condition, its seahorse supports fully intact and its surfaces retaining their original finishes. An exceptional conversation piece and a refined example of French decorative arts in the grand tradition, it will delight the collector who prizes imagination as well as quality.