Offered by Franck Baptiste Paris
Large candlestick composed of thirteen pieces in cut and polished rock crystal and two pieces in mercury-gilded bronze.
Tripod base with acanthus scrolls surmounted by a baluster shaft and a hexagonal faceted bobeche.
The pieces of the shaft, the cup and the bobeche threaded around a central threaded rod ending with a nut at the top and a tightening ring at the bottom.
Good condition, one faceted conical piece replaced and a small crack on a piece surmounting the bottom.
Work Northern Italy, probably Milan around 1730-1750.
Dimensions:
Height: 60 cm; Tripod base width: 20 cm
Our opinion:
These extremely expensive pieces require the help of specialized mountaineers who collect the precious crystals in ovens located in the steep cliffs of the Alpine massif, then the know-how of lapidaries who will cut and polish these translucent quartzes before a specialized workshop uses them on light fixtures such as girandoles, candlesticks or chandeliers.
If a few pieces of cabinets of curiosities will be produced or even cutlery or jewelry, this hard and shiny material like ice is especially sought after for its quality to refract light.
Due to its rarity, these rock crystal light fixtures will be extremely rare under the old regime; they remain the prerogative of princely courts throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.
France had the largest collection in Europe with no fewer than 533 pieces inventoried in 1723, most of which came from the collection of Mazarin, King Louis XIV and his son the Grand Dauphin.
