Pair of Consulat period cassolettes candleholders double use - Circa 1799

A fine pair of French cassolettes, designed for double use as candleholders, dating from the Consulat period (1799-1804), with Egyptian motifs and finely cast in patinated and gilt bronze. Each cassolette is flanked by handles terminating in Egyptian female heads and rests on a rectangular base adorned with a gilt bronze bas-relief of a musician putto, the whole set upon a finely chased gilt bronze plinth.


Of elegant ovoid form, each cassolette is fitted with a removable lid surmounted by a pinecone finial, which reverses to form a candleholder. The Egyptian-style handles reflect the fascination with antiquity that followed Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt (1798–1801), during which Bonaparte famously enlisted a corps of scientists and scholars to document the country’s monuments. Their work culminated in the monumental Description de l’Égypte, published from 1802 onwards. The taste for Egyptian Revival design, while intense, remained relatively short-lived, making such pieces particularly evocative of this moment in French decorative history.


The rectangular bases are embellished with gilt bronze reliefs depicting winged putti playing the double flute (aulos), an ancient instrument associated with Dionysian rites and the god Pan. This musical motif introduces a layered symbolism: while the Egyptian heads convey timeless mystery and classical restraint, the flute-playing putti evoke festivity, and the spirited joy of music. Their scrolling, volute-like lower bodies elegantly integrate form and ornament.


The pair is in excellent condition, with finely preserved mercury gilding and crisp detail throughout, a superb example of French Consulate period craftsmanship.


Origin: France, Consulate period 1799-1804.

Dimensions: Height 36 cm (14.2?), Width: 13 cm (5.1?), Depth: 8 cm (3.1?).
Size of the square base: 8 cm (3.1?) x 8 cm (3.1?).