Pair of Empire Gilt-Bronze Candlesticks

Paris, circa 1805–1810 This elegant pair of Empire candlesticks is executed in finely chased and fire-gilt bronze and may be attributed on stylistic grounds to the atelier of Claude Galle, one of the foremost Parisian bronziers of the early Empire period. Each candlestick is surmounted by a vase-shaped nozzle with drip-pan, raised on a slender, tapering fluted stem. The central section is enriched with three Classical female caryatid herms, finely modelled in high relief and adorned with foliate headdresses and beaded necklaces. The shaft terminates in three pairs of stylised human feet, resting on a spreading circular base cast with a stiff-leaf border. The harmonious balance between sculptural richness and architectural clarity is characteristic of high-quality Parisian bronzes of this period. Comparable models are well documented in the literature. Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel illustrate related candlesticks in Vergoldete Bronzen (1986, p. 326, pls. 5.1.6 and 5.1.7), including an example with three Egyptian female herms dated circa 1810, as well as a design for a closely related candlestick featuring Classical female caryatid busts, a fluted stem and three pairs of human feet. The latter appears on a sheet from a trade catalogue of circa 1810, today preserved in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Candlesticks of this type, drawing inspiration from both Classical Rome and contemporary archaeological interests, were highly fashionable in Paris during the first decade of the nineteenth century and remain emblematic of the refined decorative arts of the Empire period. Height: 33 cm each.