Jan & John Maggs

Antiques and Art

A dazzling pair of seamed bell metal candlesticks

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We’ve had many variations of this ubiquitous French candlestick - in silver and in brass with and without silver plating - and a few in richly colored bell metal like these. But we’ve never seen such a heavily decorated pair in any combination of metals. The profusion of cast, engraved, and punched decoration is, in a word, profuse, covering nearly every square centimeter of the sticks. As is usual in candlesticks of this form, the shaft was formed in two parts, which were soldered together, as evident in one of the close-ups. The base was cast separately. The cross section of almost the entire candlestick is octagonal. This is a fabulous example of French baroque excess.

From the Matt King estate

France, ca. 1750

Base: 5 ¼” square; Height: 9 ½”

Price: $485

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