Offered by Galerie Gilles Linossier
A small, charming candlestick, reflecting the mid-18th-century European taste for "chinoiserie", that combines a Chinese porcelain statuette with a finely chased gilt-bronze mount, crafted in France during the mid-18th century.
The composition centers on a Chinese sage or scholar, depicted smiling and seated in a meditative pose.
Clad in a loose robe glazed in a soft, deep blue, he leans against a peach, a traditional symbol of longevity in Chinese iconography, which here serves as a brush washer.
The finely crafted gilt-bronze mount encircles the base with leafy scrolls and extends into two elegant, asymmetrical branches that rise behind the figure. These foliate branches terminate in bobeches and candle sockets shaped like blossoming flowers.
This ornamental vocabulary, characteristic of the Rocaille style, harmonizes perfectly with the picturesque nature of the sage figure.
The Asian-inspired art known as "chinoiserie" was highly fashionable in 18th-century Europe. Often produced in limited series for an aristocratic clientele, these objects fueled the craze for Chinese art; its whimsical and exotic qualities enriched the décor of the most refined interiors.
They were imported from Asia and fitted with gilt-bronze mounts.
A French and Chinese collaboration from the Louis XV period, featuring glazed porcelain and chased gilt-bronze, retaining its beautiful original gilding.
Dimensions: H 11 cm x L 12 cm
