Pair of Chinese Export Style Pistol Handled Covered Porcelain Urns

France, mid-20th century, hand-painted and gilt porcelain footed urns, each has lid with artichoke finial, two pistol form handles, central medallions on each side featuring an American seal above draped swag, mounted to multicolor faux marble plinths, both marked "Porcelaine de Paris/[crossed arrows]/France" to underside of marble plinth.

Each 18 x 11 x 9 in.

From the Historic Collection of Limestone University, Gaffney, South Carolina
Limestone College, now Limestone University, was founded in 1845 in Gaffney, South Carolina, by English-born Baptist minister Dr. Thomas Curtis and his son William. Originally established as the Limestone Springs Female High School, it was among the first women’s colleges in the nation and the very first in the state. The institution found its early roots in a former resort hotel near healing springs, later struggling due to the Civil War and Reconstruction. It revived in 1881 as the Cooper‑Limestone Institute, thanks to benefaction from industrialist Peter Cooper, and adopted the name Limestone College.

Small areas of gilt rubbing to handles of one urn; lid fits loosely to the other urn; otherwise good estate condition.