Lot Essay
Charles Cressent, elected maître sculpteur of the Saint Luc Academy in 1714 and subsequently appointed ébénistedu Régent to the duc d'Orléans, had numerous items confiscated from his workshop in 1723, amongst which was: 'une paire de bras à deux branches entrelassées l'un dans l'autre, à deux bobèches dont une bobèche à soleil et l'autre à gaudron' (Mlle. Ballot, Charles Cressent, sculpteur, ébéniste, collectionneur, 'Archives de l'Art Français', reprinted 1969, p. 275).
A pair of almost identical wall-lights are displayed in Marie-Antoinette's cabinet des bains at Versailles, while a further set of four was sold anonymously, Sotheby's Monaco, 24 February 1986, lot 1461.
A pair of almost identical wall-lights are displayed in Marie-Antoinette's cabinet des bains at Versailles, while a further set of four was sold anonymously, Sotheby's Monaco, 24 February 1986, lot 1461.