A PAIR OF EMPIRE ORMOLU AND PATINATED BRONZE FOUR-LIGHT WALL-APPLIQUES

Claude-François Rabiat (d. 1815), was apprenticed to Etienne Vignerelle in 1769 and established as maître in 1778. He regularly provided a variety of clocks, wall-appliques and candelabra to other accomplished bronziers and horlogers including Thomire, Feuchère and Claude Galle. An example of this practice is firmly established through a documented similar pair of candelabra delivered on 23 December 1809 by the bronzier Claude Galle for the Boudoir of the Petit Trianon at Versailles. The inventory states Une Paire de Candelabras figures ailles, bronzes, sur une demi boule feuilles, quatre branches tete de zéphir dors en or mat. Prix demand 600F. Rgal 590F... These Petit Trianon candelabra are illustrated in D. Ledoux-Lebard, Le Grand Trianon, p.35, and H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, Band II, p.705, fig.21. Further information on Rabiat can be found in D. Ledoux-Lebard, 'Rabiat', L'Estampille/L'Objet d'Art, April 1991, p. 91.

Comparable candelabra signed Rabiat were sold at Christie's Amsterdam, Property removed from kasteel Biljoen, Velp, European Noble and Private Collections, 24-25 June 2008, lot 743.