Pair of French Louis XVI Gilt Bronze Lamps With Snake Handles Circa 1870

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A truly stunning pair of vasiform lamps in the Louis XVI taste, they feature solid bodies crafted of a brilliant … Read more A truly stunning pair of vasiform lamps in the Louis XVI taste, they feature solid bodies crafted of a brilliant exotic polished onyx both in the ovular upper body and the squared base. The bronze work on each is simply above reproach, each element being exquisitely cast and finished. Most obvious and striking are the entwined snakes, these of the most fine quality with articulation of each scale and chiseled texture even within the scales, full detailing of the undersides of the snakes as well as the features throughout their heads.
Perhaps less immediately apparent is the quality of casting work in the swirling waves around the bulb housing, the gadrooned mouldings around the rim upon which the snake heads rest and the minutely detailed acanthus foliage that rises below the rim with tiny stippled and hammered textures throughout the leaves. The base matches and perhaps even raises the skill level slightly, this decorated with a chaotic and naturalistically layered footer of falling water-leaves with intricate chiseling and hammering throughout tied together with a laurel-wreath over a cove-molded rim with several layers of symmetrically arranged foliage, all of this exquisitely developed and executed.
The proportions and overall scale of the lamps is perfectly balanced for the modern home, measuring in at just under 22" in total height without a shade. It is difficult to imagine a more perfectly conceived pair of lamps for the tasteful interior.
Measurements: 21 7/8" H x 11" W, base is 5 7/8" W x 5 7/8" D See less