A fine pair of Empire gilt and patinated three-light candelabra à la Victoire, each with the stem formed as a winged figure of Victory wearing a diaphanous dress holding her hands aloft and supporting a stylised triform lamp surmounted by a ring supported on a splayed pilaster mounted upon her head and issuing three candle branches terminated by a vase-shaped candle holder encircled by stylised flames, each figure standing with both feet upon an anthemion-mounted and foliate-cast cylindrical base supported by crouching griffins on a shaped tri-sided verde antico marble base Paris, date circa 1800-1805 Height 81 cm. each. These impressive and very unusual candelabra relate to those made by the celebrated fondeur-ciseleur Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843), whose oeuvre during the Empire included a similar pair now in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (illustrated in Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel, “Vergoldete Bronzen”, 1986, p. 329, pl. 5.2.4). Thomire’s candelabra were based on designs by Napoleon’s favourite architects and ornemanistes Charles Percier (1764-1838) and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine (1762-1853), who in turn had been inspired by Antique statues of Victory (illustrated ibid., p. 328, pl. 5.2.1 and p. 329, pl. 5.2.3 respectively). Such figures were echoed by others during the early nineteenth century. Amongst them was the Italian artist and designer Filippo Pelagio Pelagi (1775-1860) whose designs for winged female caryatid supports for a console, circa 1833-34 in the Biblioteca Archiginnasio Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe, Raccolta Disegni Palagi (inv. 2155), Bologna is illustrated in G. Beretti, A. Cotiino, B. Gallizia di Vergano, L. Melegati, “Gli Splendori del Bronzo, Mobili e oggetti d’arredo tra Francia e Italia 1750 1850”, 2002, p. 149, pl. 74. The candle branches supports are most unusual and in many respects take the form of a three sided antique oil lamp, hence the simulated flames surrounding the nozzles. Like the other motifs including the figures of Victory and overtly classical columns, the griffin supports were inspired by Antiquity and are typical of the Empire style although they are not frequently associated with such candelabra.