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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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A superb pair of Louis XVI gilt bronze and white marble six-light candelabra with six beaded vase-shaped candle nozzles above circular drip-pans issuing from highly ornate foliate-wrapped scrolling branches issuing from a pierced circular shaft mounted upon a white porcelain bowl mounted by three grotesque mask heads issuing grapevine swags, the mask heads above three shaped and beaded supports terminating in cloven hoof feet, the porcelain bowl supported on a foliate cup and spiralled shaft encircled by a spiral twisted serpent connecting the tripartite supports, on a concave-sided triangular plinth with canted corners, on a conformingly shaped black marble base Paris, date circa 1780-85 Height 65 cm. each. The overall form of the lower part of these magnificent candelabra follows the design of a number of highly ornate gilt bronze mounted cassolettes and vases, also known as coupes, in particular one with a Chinese porcelain vase and mounts by the preeminent fondeur-ciseleur Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843) of circa 1785 in the J. Paul Getty Museum, California (illustrated in Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 268, pl. 4.9.11), which as here features grotesque or Satyr masks issuing similar grapevine swags on supports that are terminated by cloven feet. One can also compare the lower section with a gilt bronze mounted red jasper cassolette of 1774-75 attributed to Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813) in the Wallace Collection, London which was bought for Marie-Antoinette from the duc d’Aumont sale in 1782 (illustrated and described in Peter Hughes, “The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Furniture”, 1996, vol. III, pp.1340-1345, no. 275 (F292)). As here the latter has a tripod stand, albeit far more ornate, that includes grotesque masks issuing grapevine swags and supports terminated by cloven feet as well as a centrally spiralled serpent. A further comparison can be made between the present mounts and those on a pair of tripod vases, 1785-6 in the Wallace Collection (illustrated and discussed in P. Hughes, ibid, pp. 1404-7 no. 292, (F342-3)). The latter Wallace mounts are attributed by Hughes to Pierre-Philippe Thomire on the grounds of a drawing inscribed ‘Vase Casollette pour Etre Monté par M. Tomir [sic] fait d’un 10e plus grand que le model ce 20 Avril 1784’ The overall design, as opposed to the individual details, also compares with a pair of eight-light candelabra of 1783-6 in the Wallace Collection, probably designed by the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre and made by François Rémond, composed of a lapis lazuli vase on a tripod stand centred by a coiled serpent, but featuring sphinxes on the base, surmounted as here with scrolling foliate candle branches with additional floral sprays (illustrated and described in Hughes, ibid. vol. III, pp. 1255-1259, nos. 248 (F130-31)). As with the majority of such luxury eighteenth century pieces, this pair of candelabra would have either been designed by or for one of the Parisian marchands-merciers who would have then commissioned the bronzier to execute the work itself. |