Hand candlestick in lacquer and gilt bronze, Paris circa 1750

A rare hand candlestick in finely chased and mercury-gilded bronze and lacquered wood.

It consists of a vermilion red lacquer cup decorated with small flowers, mounds, and butterflies in black lacquer.
Each decorative element is outlined in gold.
The cup is set within a bronze rim, which terminates in a handle with an asymmetrical acanthus-shaped thumb rest.
From the center of the cup emerges the bronze candle holder in the form of a twisted and gadrooned Medici vase, topped with its original removable rim.

In very good condition.

The handle, the candle holder, and its rim are stamped with the crowned "C". This mark attests to a copper tax levied in France to finance the War of the Austrian Succession.

Its presence allows us to date the piece precisely to between March 1745 and February 1749.

Work of a Parisian merchant-mercer, Louis XV period, circa 1745-1750.

Dimensions:

Width: 16 cm; Height: 6 cm; Cup diameter: 12 cm