A pair of ormolu candlesticks on a spreading circular base cast with slender inverted arches and a border of spiralled ribbons. The fluted tapering shafts extend up into a richly decorated bulb with laurel leaves. The candle holders feature alternating palmettes and arches.
The design of this pair of candlesticks can be traced back to a model drawing by Jean-Charles Delafosse from the early 1770s. Several similar pieces are known. For example, a pair of candlesticks including detachable extensions was formerly in the collection of Marcel Boussac and sold in Lille on 15 March 1981. A second pair was kept in the Département de la Maison du Roi during the 19th Century and was brought to Versailles by the Mobilier National. These candlesticks were illustrated in the 2011 exhibition catalogue Le château de Versailles raconte le Mobilier national: Quatre siècles de création.
An identical pair from a European princely collection was sold in Paris at Mes Ader-Picard-Tajan on 2 December 1971 (lot 106). Two further examples have been on display on the mantle of the dining room in the Musée des arts Décoratifs in Lyon.
Provenance:
Galerie Perrin, Paris
Private collection, Belgium
Site by Artimin
