Louis XV Style Gilt Bronze Candlesticks, 1800s, Set of 2

Details

Description

The design of these candlesticks follows the tradition of re-editions of the french rococo style, very popular throughout the 19th … Read more The design of these candlesticks follows the tradition of re-editions of the french rococo style, very popular throughout the 19th century: a baluster-shaped stem with a bulbous body adorned with acanthus leaves in the round, a central gadrooned knot, an intermediate ring, a crown of inverted foliage at the base of the stem, and a flared base with undulating contours, moldings, and shells. The candle holder has a scalloped edge.

the entire piece is cast in bronze, carefully cold-chased, and finished with a warm, slightly amber-toned gilt, characteristic of high-quality french production in the late 19th century. The dense network of acanthus and scrolling foliage in relief on the body of the stem demonstrates meticulous chasing, a direct descendant of models from the reign of louis xv.

the underside of the base bears a monogram am stamped beneath a count's coronet—a characteristic mark of a commissioned or workshop piece.

these candelabra are part of the tradition of grand bourgeois and aristocratic re-editions of the louis xv style, a period when demand for furniture and objets d'art in this rococo vein was revived under louis-philippe and then under napoleon iii during the second empire. Parisian founders such as barbedienne, raingo frères, and thomire had established the standard for this type of production in chased gilt bronze. See less