Pair of lion sconces by St. Germain, Paris circa 1765

Rare pair of gilt bronze sconces with three branches.
The fluted stems are decorated with asparagus and finished with seeded bases. The central sections are adorned with lion muzzles and oak leaf garlands.
The upper sections are surmounted by antique fire pots.
The three scroll-shaped branches, highlighted with acanthus foliage, support cups and bobeches with palmette bases.

Very well preserved.

High quality original mercury gilding, very abundant and very fine chiseling.

Louis XV period work attributable to the bronze-maker Jean-Joseph de St. Germain, Paris circa 1765.

Dimensions:

Height: 50 cm; Width: 36 cm; Depth: 26 cm

The attribution of our pair of sconces to the bronze-caster of King Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain is confirmed by another model stamped by the master.
This pair, with a similar design on both the lion and the garlands, is illustrated in the article by Jean-Dominique Augarde, "Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain, Bronze-caster (1719-1791)" for the magazine "Connaissance des Arts" of December 1996 (p. 78, fig. 23)."

- A similar pair, but with two sconces, was auctioned on November 23, 2023, at Sotheby's Paris (€20,320).

*Jean-Joseph de Saint-Germain (1719-1791) was awarded the title of master bronze-caster in clay and sand by masterpiece on July 15, 1748.
He is one of the greatest bronze-casters of the reign of Louis XV. In 1765, he became a member of the guild of founders and chasers. A fierce defender of copyright, he proposed and passed the requirement for bronze makers to sign their works.
Indeed, as he indicated on an advertising label for his workshop on Rue St. Nicolas, he sold "all kinds of ormolu boxes and fittings" and "made drawings and models in wax."
He created many successful models, such as the two-Chinese cartel clock, the rhinoceros, elephant, and bull clocks, and was therefore one of the most copied artists during his lifetime.