Classical Figural Candelabra Pair
Pair of Restoration figural ormolu candelabra, c. 1830, adorned with classical female and male figures, each holding a four branch torchere and standing on a globe, on acanthus leaves and trellis decorated plinths (2), height 27.17 in.
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Register Now to view actual auction price for this item.
- Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
- Acanthus - A stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture, derived from the genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean area. It is a common element in classical Greek and Roman design, and is often seen in Corinthian and Composite order columns and used as a decorative element in English, European and Australian furniture, particularly on the curve of a leg, and as decoration for a corbel.
This item has been included into following indexes:
- candelabra / candelabrum
- torcheres 115
