During the Aesthetic Movement of the late 19th century, brass, lighting and silverplate manufacturers produced "Art Brass" furnishings as an extension of their existing business for middle-to-upper class families. They were composed primarily of Brass (copper/zinc) though some were of Bronze (copper/tin) or a combination of brass, copper and German silver, or plated alloys.
One of those Manufacturers was Bradley & Hubbard, who Magazine Antiques attributes the stand below to and believes it to be made between 1880 and 1885. The ceramic tile on the top surface is made by Gien Faience factory and is marked "Japonais No 3" and "Gien". The tile markings confirm a common theme of these pieces at the time of incorporating Anglo-Japanese styles. One can also see some modern gothic influences in the arches at the feet.
Rago just sold a brass jewelry cabinet in stand form and another brass stand during their recent sale, each fetching $3,000. Winter Associates
sold a stand similar to these, which appeared to be sans ceramic, for $1,200.
The stand above is very similar in form to the "rocketship" design of the Bradley & Hubbard attributed stand at left. The arched and extended flowers are missing as is the perforated brass work under the top. It is currently priced at a paltry $411, but that shouldn't last. You can participate in the bidding or just view the rest of the images
here.
A few months ago I was offered an opportunity to buy a pair of the stands seen below. As a collector of all things Victorian (furniture), I want to have a good example of one of these stands in my collection at some point in the future, but the time was not right when they were offered to me.
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