Pair of French gilt bronze round figural wall plaques, France, 19th century Attributed To F. Barbedienne Measures: 10" x 2" x 2" Ferdinand Barbedienne (6 August 1810 – 21 March 1892) was a prolific bronze founder, who established one of the most important French foundries of the 19th century. He produced bronze reproductions of Greek and Roman classical sculpture and experimented with champleve and cloisonne enamels. Barbedienne exhibited several pieces at the 1855 Paris Exhibition, many of which were executed in a Renaissance revival style. The Barbedienne foundry employed up to three hundred skilled laborers, handling the casting of numerous national monuments. In 1855, Barbedienne received the Medaille d’Honneur at the Paris World Exhibition for the furnishing work he completed on the Paris town hall in 1850.