Three cups in silvered bronze and copper by Constant Sévin, Désiré Attarge, Henry Cahieux and Barbedienne, Circa 1866.
The small “César Cup” called “Canthare d'Alésia” decorated with holly branches and ribbon knots, see Cat.1736, p 458 and photographed with the large cup, page 80 in F. Rionnet, “Les Bronzes Barbedienne, the work of a dynasty of founders”.
The small cup is after an antique model from the 1st century, known as the Canthare d'Alésia or Canthare d'Alise-Sainte-Reine, now kept at the Musée des Antiquités Nationales, Saint-Germain-en-Laye . The archaeological excavations of Alise-Sainte-Reine were carried out from 1861 to 1865 by order of Napoleon III to find traces of the Siege of Alésia. Ferdinand Barbedienne was authorized by the emperor to make a cast of the canthare in order to provide him with an exact replica for the Dijon Museum. The same document authorized him to reproduce this work for his customers. Several copies are known today, including one on display at the Château de Compiègne and one at the Musée d'Orsay. A similar cup was presented at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878 on the Maison Barbedienne stand.

Sizes:
Attarge “Caesar” bowl: 11cm high, 19cm wide with handles, 11.5cm in diameter.
Henry Cahieux cup with Antique bust: 15cm high, 24.5cm with handles, 15.5cm in diameter.
Cup with large handles: 23cm high, 18.5cm wide, 11.5cm in diameter.

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