A PAIR OF ENGLISH GILTWOOD TORCHERES

The tripodic pier-set gueridon stands designed in George I 'Roman' fashion for vases or candelabra and originally supplied en suite with a table and mirror, comprise urn-capped pillars on truss-pilaster 'claws'. Its Roman acanthus-flowered and 'Venus' pearled urn is raised on a herm-tapered baluster with foliage draped lambrequin that evokes the triumphal water-carriage of Venus being sculpted with the deity's 'shell' framed by dolphin-scales; while its shell-decked 'claw' is raised on palm-flowered and wave-voluted trusses. Their Roman style, derived in part from Louis Quatorze 'boulle' stands, relates in particular to Lord Howe's George I silver-embossed stands and pier-set table and mirror illustrated in Country Life in 1928 (see 'A Set of Silver-mounted Furniture from Lord Howe's Collection at Penn House, near Amersham, Country Life, 26th May 1928 p 783; and R. Edwards, Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, London, 1964 p.486, fig.9).
A related pair of torcheres removed from Warwick Castle, was sold, Sotheby's, London, 23 November 2005, lot 15 (£114,000 including premium).