Paris, Transition Period - Pair Of Large Ormolu Bronze Candlesticks

Pair of ormolu torches
Finely cast, chased and gilded bronze
Dimensions: H. 27; D. 23 at base (cm.)
Paris, circa 1760 - 1770

A large pair of finely chased and gilded bronze torches from the early Louis XVI period. They stand on a circular base decorated on the outside with a frieze of palmettes and a row of pearls. The terrace is decorated with very fine guilloche friezes. Oblique palmettes join the shaft. The shaft is organized as a baluster with a double ring at the bottom, one with a row of pearls and the other with palmettes that repeat the ornamentation of the terrace, and are symmetrically opposed to the same motifs at the top of the baluster and binet.
This model is an early example of neoclassical production, notably for its use of such a sinuous shaft, but also for the repertoire of palmettes which, arranged in this way, create a sensation of movement, a legacy of Rococo production.

A model of ormolu gilding
Thanks to their particularly unusual state of preservation, these torches bear witness to the skills of Parisian bronziers, founders, gilders and chiselers. Indeed, they are in their original gilding, which has not been chemically altered to clean it. This can be seen on the underside by the tint of the soldering and the preservation of the ink numbers; and on the top by the action of time almost exclusively on the protruding parts subject to wear and tear. It is therefore a rare and precious document in its current state.

Condition report: wear to gilding, a small cast defect, associated bobèches.