Pair, Antique Kashmiri Barley Twist Polychrome Decorated Candlesticks 16"

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A tall and decorative pair of Kashmiri papier-mâché candlesticks, each rising 16 inches on a dished circular foot and swelling … Read more A tall and decorative pair of Kashmiri papier-mâché candlesticks, each rising 16 inches on a dished circular foot and swelling baluster, the stems boldly carved and laminated in the distinctive “barley-twist” or open-twist motif. The surfaces are entirely finished by hand in the traditional Srinagar manner, with a dark ground enlivened by dense sprays of roses, marigolds and other garden blooms, all outlined and heightened with fine gilded naqashi work. The painting retains the soft, time-warmed palette that collectors prize—russets, salmon pinks, saffron and mossy greens—set against charcoal and umber lacquer, with the gilt stippling and scalloped borders still legible throughout.

The forms are typical of late-19th/early-20th-century Kashmiri export wares: a wide, weighted base for stability, a bulbous knop above and below the spiral trellis, and a flaring candle socket with a shallow drip cup. They are constructed in the region’s characteristic papier-mâché technique—layers of paper pulp and cloth over a turned wooden core, then gessoed, painted in gouache, and sealed with clear lacquer to a gentle sheen. That light yet rigid construction allowed Kashmiri artisans to create the complex open twist of the shafts while keeping the overall weight manageable, and it takes the paint beautifully, which is why floral decoration became such a hallmark of the craft.

The pair reads as mirror-images and present handsomely on a mantel or console, the intertwined stems catching light and shadow and the flower clusters providing color without glare. Surfaces show the expected mellow wear from age and use—small abrasions to the lacquer, scattered chips and losses to the paint, and age lines to the foot rims. The underside of one base retains remnants of the original red bole and an old dealer’s label (“George Gervais Antiques”), trace evidence of a well-kept collecting history.

These candlesticks embody the Kashmiri workshop tradition that flourished in the late Mughal period and blossomed again for the European market in the 19th century. Their generous height, lively open-twist profile, and richly worked floral painting make them particularly decorative examples, ready to function or simply to serve as bright, romantic accents in a room. Dimensions: 16 inches high by approximately 5½ inches in diameter. See less