A SET OF FOUR FRENCH ORMOLU AND PATINATED-BRONZE FIVE-LIGHT CANDELABRA

The `PPR’ marks to the underside of the present candelabra almost certainly signify Principe Piedmonte Racconigi or Proprieta Privata Racconigi, suggesting that they were formerly in the private collection of the Italian Royal family at Castello Reale di Racconigi. Located south of Turin, Racconigi was first constructed in the 12th century, and from the early 17th century was a residence of the Savoy family. The palace was retained as a private residence of the Royal House of Savoy throughout the unification of Italy and was presented in 1930 by King Vittorio Emmanuele III to his son, later King Umberto II, following his marriage to Princess Maria-José of Belgium. Racconigi was acquired by the Italian state in the 1970s, carefully conserved and later opened as a state museum in 1980.
The support figure to the present set of candelabra is directly comparable to that on a pair dated to circa 1805, formerly in the possession of the Murat family and today in the collections of the Mobilier National (GMLC 700/1-2, see M-F Dupuy-Baylet, L’heure, le feu, la lumière, Les bronzes du mobilier national 1800-1870, Dijon, 2010, pp. 168-9). It has been suggested that the latter candelabra – with different candle arms to those on the present lot – can be attributed to Jean-André Reiche, a noted bronzier of the Empire period (M.-F. Dupuy-Baylet, L’heure, le feu et la Lumière, Les Bronzes du Mobilier National 1800-1870, Dijon, 2010, pp. 169).