Paire de bougeoirs Empire avec masques de gorgone, circa 1810

A very rare pair of French gilt-bronze Empire candlesticks, distinguished by their refined neoclassical design. Each candlestick features a fluted columnar stem adorned with delicate palmettes and a band of floral ornamentation, rising gracefully to a flared capital embellished with further palmettes. Around the circular bases, finely chiselled medallions depict Gorgon masks alternating with swans enclosed within a flower wreath flanked by spread eagle wings. The Gorgon mask, a motif of ancient origin, served as a protective emblem symbolising strength and invincibility. The bases are further enriched with concentric bands of leaves and flowers. Executed with great precision and retaining their original mercury gilding, these candlesticks exemplify the refined elegance and sculptural harmony characteristic of early nineteenth-century French craftsmanship.


The imagery of the Gorgon, and particularly Medusa, derives from ancient Greek mythology. The Gorgons were three fearsome sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, whose gaze could turn onlookers to stone. Medusa, the only mortal among them, was famed for her beauty before being transformed into a creature with serpents for hair. During the French Empire period, this ancient motif was reinterpreted with classical restraint, becoming an ornament of erudition and imperial authority, perfectly in keeping with the grandeur of Napoleonic decorative art. In neoclassical design, Medusa’s image also conveyed protection, power, and transformation, symbols of reason’s triumph over chaos, ideals that resonated deeply with the spirit of the Empire style.


This beautiful pair of Empire candlesticks is in excellent condition. Executed in mercury-gilded bronze, they display a superb contrast between matte and burnished gilding, reflecting the exceptional skill of an accomplished bronzier of the Empire period.


Origin: Paris, Empire period circa 1810.

Dimensions: Height 29 cm (11.4?), Diameter base 14 cm (5.5?).