A PAIR OF GEORGE III ORMOLU BRONZE AND WHITE MARBLE CANDLESTICKS

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more

SOLD IN AID OF A CHARITABLE TRUST

Details

A PAIR OF GEORGE III ORMOLU BRONZE AND WHITE MARBLE CANDLESTICKS
Each with a seated griffin supporting a foliate nozzle and with scrolled foliate tail, on a rectangular stepped plinth with lappeted band, lacking one drip-pan
8¾ in. (22 cm.) high (2)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. This lot, if not collected from Christie's by 3.30pm on the day following the sale, will be removed by Cadogan Tate Fine Art Removals to their warehouse at Cadogan House, 2 Relay Road, London W12 7SJ. Tel: 44(0)20 8735 3700. Fax: 44(0)20 8735 3701.

Lot Essay

Sir William Chambers illustrated a related design for a griffin candlestick in 1791, in the third edition of his Treatise on the Decorative Part of Civil Architecture. The design is an additional plate illustrating 'ornamental utensils, designed for the Earl of Charlemont, for Lord Melbourne, and for some decorations for my own house'. Matthew Boulton made several 'griffin' vases and it is possible that Chambers provided him with a design or model (N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, London, 1974, pp. 157-158, pl. 89-93).
A similar pair of candlesticks was sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 15 November 1990, lot 1.

See also lot 2 in the 5 April 2001 sale of Important English Furniture.

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