Pair Of Empire Candelabra “Apollo & Diana” Model By P.P. Thomire

The design of this pair of richly decorated French Empire candelabra is attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751–1843). They depict the figures of Apollo and Diana, each holding a bouquet of five lights. Executed in gilt bronze and dark brown patina, after a design by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, they show great craftsmanship with detailed chiseling and exquisite details. Both figures hold a cornucopia from which sprout the five arms of light, decorated with leaves, flowers, berries, scales, palmettes and windings. The central light is finished by an intricately detailed vase shaped candle holder with a removable flame.


Further, the two figures of Apollo and Diana each stand on a sphere supported by a leafy rosette, which in it’s turn is placed on a circular pedestal decorated with friezes of gadroons, palmettes, acanthus leaves and grooves on a square base with a foliage decor.


Diana, depicted here as Diana Huntress, is the virgin goddess, patroness of the countryside, hunters, crossroads, and the Moon. We see her here with her quiver and arrows on her back, a bow in her left hand and a lunar crescent on her head.


Apollo is the great Olympian god of light and the sun, prophecy and oracles, healing, plague and disease, music, song and poetry, archery, and the protection of the young. Also he was the twin brother of Diana the Huntress. This model is also known entirely gilded or with variations in the distribution of the patina.


This pair of French Empire candelabra, after a model by Thomire, presents itself with it’s original mercury gilding in an excellent state of preservation.


Details
Paris, circa 1815.
Dimensions: 70 cm high, diameter arms of light 26 x 26 cm. Size of the base: 13.5 x 13.5 cm.
Weight: 9.7 kg (for the pair).


Literature
Sotheby’s, November 2012, where a comparable model signed Thomire appeared in auction