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Pair of Large French Empire Candelabra

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Kollenburg Antiquairs BV

Premier Seller

Name: Pair of Large French Empire Candelabra
Measurements: Height: 99 cm, Width: 29 cm
Reference: KOLA100304
Colors: Green, Black, Gold

Categories: Decorative Arts Lighting Candlesticks & Candelabras
Materials: fire-gilt and patinated bronze; Vert Antique de Grèce marble Bronze Marble Porcelain
Styles: Empire Empire
Periods: 18th Century ca. 1800 Antique
Origins: France
Subject: Figure Portrait

Description

A very impressive pair of six-light candelabra. On a green marble base, that is carried by six lions feet and decorated with sphynxes in the shape of winged lions and elegant drapes with tassels and a floral basket and a portrait of the goddess Artemis stand elegant female statues.

The women in classical ancient attire carry a branch in each hand that fans out in shapes of Acanthus leaves and ends in candleholders.
From the branches a torched shoot rises up and ends in the head of a mythical creature. With their beaks the creatures hold an urn that stands on the head of the figure. From the top of the urn ornamented branches end in three candleholders. A sixth candleholders is positioned at the top.

Although no comparable specimen of this design are known, we can circumspectly attribute these candelabra to Thomire, based on their elegance, quality and refinement

An identical pair can be found in the green dining room of the first appartment at the Catharina Palace, Tsarskoye Selo in Russia.

Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843) was one of the most prominent bronze casters and ciseleurs of the Empire era. Despite his training as a sculptor, he chose to follow in his father's footsteps and become a bronze caster. In this profession, he was the most successful producer of bronzes of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Thomire trained with Pierre Gouthière before establishing his own workshop to produce gilt bronze furniture ornaments. He later became assistant to Jean-Claude-Thomas Duplessis, who was director of the Manufacture de Sèvres. After Duplessis’ death in 1783, Thomire resumed his profession as a bronze caster designing and producing, among other things, gilt bronze mounts for porcelain. He was appointed "Ciseleur de l'Empereur" in 1809.