Late 19th-Century Venetian Blackamoor Torchère/Candlestick Holder

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Description

On offer is a Venetian Blackamoor torchère or candlestick holder. The figure is a stylized, romanticized representation of an African … Read more On offer is a Venetian Blackamoor torchère or candlestick holder. The figure is a stylized, romanticized representation of an African figure, a common motif in European decorative arts starting from the Baroque period.

STYLE: The young woman wears highly ornate, exoticized garments featuring intricate gold gilt, scrollwork, arabesques and vibrant colors. She also wears a matching turban. Rather than depicting authentic historical African clothing, this represented the wealthy Venetian elite’s 18th and 19th-century fascination with the "exotic East" and Africa, blending Moorish, Ottoman and North African style tropes to convey luxury, wealth and worldly trade connections—then the source of Venice’s enormous wealth. She holds a decorated cornucopia-style staff ending in a brass insert designed as a candle holder or torchère.

CREATION: This style originated in Venice, Italy. The elaborate paint decoration over a plaster (gesso) base combined with gold leaf, known as lacca veneziana, is highly characteristic of Venetian workshops. While the style dates back to the 1700s, this specific piece—given its proportions, the style of the brass candle insert, and the condition of the base felt—is most likely a late 19th-century (Victorian/Belle Époque era) or early 20th-century reproduction of a classic antique design.

Today, these are highly collectible accent pieces which can still be used as intended, as an elegant dinner table candlestick holder or mantelpiece accent. Or have an electrician route wire through that convenient bottom hole to turn her into a bespoke table lamp.

Signature/Maker’s Mark: Nonexistent. Base dimensions: 6 inches wide x 6 inches deep. See less