Live Auction 7631Important European Furniture & Sculpture
A PAIR OF FRENCH ORMOLU THREE-BRANCH CANDELABRA
Lot 127 THE PROPERTY OF A LADY (LOTS 122-127)

A PAIR OF FRENCH ORMOLU THREE-BRANCH CANDELABRA

19TH CENTURY

Closed4 December 2008

Price Realised

GBP 11,875

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A PAIR OF FRENCH ORMOLU THREE-BRANCH CANDELABRA
19TH CENTURY
Each with a central fluted column stem draped with oak leaf and floral garlands and supporting a vase-shaped incense burner with flaming urn finial, on fluted monopodiae supports with paw feet, headed by pinecone finials and issuing scrolled branches cast with acanthus and trailing husks terminating in vase-shaped nozzles and circular drip-pans, on a rosette-headed tripartite base, some elements stamped 'E.C'
20½ in. (52 cm.) high (2)

Acquired by Ogden Mills for the Hôtel de Broglie, 73 rue de Varenne, Paris.
Thence by descent.

Specialist note

These impressive candelabra cum brûle-parfum derive from a celebrated model of circa 1770 by Parisian bronzier Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain (1719-1791), as discussed by J.D. Augarde in 'Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, Bronzier 1719-1791', L'Objet d'Art, December 1996). Both Augarde and Ottomeyer & Pröschel suggest that this model was probably inspired by Saint-Germain's first cousin Jean-Louis Prieur (H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel, et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, p.167), who is recorded as having executed related works for King Stanislas II Augustus of Poland.
Closely related examples include a virtually identical candelabra by Saint-Germain of c. 1770 (ill. Op. Cit., fig. 3.4.7), and a further pair sold at Sotheby's, New York, 22 May 1997, lot 126.