A SET OF FOUR EMPIRE ORMOLU AND PATINATED-BRONZE FIVE BRANCH WALL-LIGHTS

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PROPERTY FROM A GENEVA PENTHOUSE DECORATED BY NYFFELERLOTS 1-23, 56-61 & 387-409AN ICONIC GENEVA INTERIOR BY JACKY NYFFELERThe following collection was housed in the Geneva penthouse of discerning and knowledgeable art collectors. The impressive penthouse of more than 1,000 square meters encompasses the entire top floor of a chic apartment building in the city’s International Organizations quarter. The owners commissioned no less than seven decorators to submit their plans for the interior decoration of the apartment in which their art collection of Impressionist pictures, French and English furniture and a number of objets d’art was to be situated. The architectural plans of the celebrated Geneva decorators Nyffeler were successful, and the two-year long realisation of their exceptional plans were undertaken with no expense spared in 1985. The Nyffeler family dynasty of decorators was started in the 1930s by William Nyffeler. It was, however, his son, Jackie Nyffeler, and his wife Joelle, who were responsible for the growth and success of the atelier in the second half of the 20th century. Jackie Nyffeler commenced his studies in the family atelier under his father’s tutelage, and later formed his notable and eclectic taste at the famous Jansen decorating firm in Paris. Today, the celebrated atelier is now run by Jackie and Joelle’s son, Yves Nyffeler. The Nyffelers are creators of a very recognisable ‘Geneva style’ of interior decoration that was adopted not only in the Swiss city but also internationally by numerous clients around the world including the Middle East.The decoration of this Geneva penthouse is a tribute to the oeuvre of Jackie Nyffeler, and will be remembered as one of his finest projects. He created here an extremely attractive interior collaboration of the finest materials, contrasting woods such as bois citronnier from Ceylon, Palissandre des Indes, ebony and Karelian birch with precious Brazilian marble and granites for the floors. The owners were discerning and interested in the meticulous plans of the decorator in which perfectionism met beauty. The music room in the apartment beautifully encompasses that vision with perfect acoustics for chamber music incorporated to fulfil the owners’ passion for classical music, and many recitals of quartets were among the most appreciated events of the collector’s circle of friends. Jackie Nyffeler succeeded here in creating an iconic Geneva interior.

A SET OF FOUR EMPIRE ORMOLU AND PATINATED-BRONZE FIVE BRANCH WALL-LIGHTS

EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

A SET OF FOUR EMPIRE ORMOLU AND PATINATED-BRONZE FIVE BRANCH WALL-LIGHTS
EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Comprising two pairs, each with a circular back plate issuing palmettes and applied with a lion's mask issuing swan-neck scrolling branches, fitted for electricity, very minor differences
15 in. (38 cm.) high

Provenance

With Jeremy Ltd., London, October 1990.

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

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Lot Essay

Wall-lights modelled as lion masks were particularly fashionable under the Empire. Leading bronziers such as André-Antoine Ravrio and Claude Galle and the celebrated fondeur-ciseleur Pierre-Philippe Thomire created models with lions issuing either arrow-shaped candle-branches or clasping a corona issuing nozzles. Such models include a pair of wall-lights 'à tête de lion' supplied by Galle in 1810 for the Cabinet of the Pavillon Français at the Petit Trianon, Versailles (D. Ledoux-Lebard, Versailles, Le Petit Trianon, Paris, 1989, p.122, fig. 1301) and three pairs of 'appliques au lion' delivered by Ravrio in 1810 for Fontainebleau (J.P. Samoyault, Pendules et bronzes d'ameublement entrés sous le Premier Empire, Paris, 1989, p.138, fig.108).

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