A pair of bronze Carcel lamps by 1820

In the form of spindle-shaped vases with chased and gilded bronze handles, they are topped by cone-shaped vases filled with flowers and fruits, which support the globes. The architectural quadrangular bases are adorned with finely chased and gilded bronze motifs representing allegories of the four continents : Europe and Africa, Asia and America, as well as representations of Diana, goddess of the moon, associated with her twin brother Appolon, god of the sun, who are both usually associated with lamps, wall-light and lighting, since the Empire period; the function of these lamps being to spread light in the dark hours of the day.


Patented by the clockmaker Guillaume Carcel in October 1800, the Carcel lamps were originally equipped with a clockwork mechanism located in the base, which, coupled with a pump, was responsible for directly sending the burning oil to the burner. The early models were wound up from underneath the base, and from 1810 onwards, the winding square was located on the side, as it was the case with our lamps. Precious and expensive, these mechanical lamps were manufactured by various Parisian establishments, such as Carcel, Gagneau, Gotten, or Dombrowski to name a few.

With a particularly grand and ornate format that differs from traditional column lamps, this pair stands out for the high quality of its neoclassical gilded bronze ornaments, with a beautiful quality of chasing and gilding alternating between matt and burnished.