Lot Essay
These magnificent candelabra relate to a group with candle arms terminating in rams' heads or 'têtes de belier' firmly attributed to André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732), ébéniste, ciseleur, doreur et sculpteur du roi. Candelabra of this model often had bases adorned with sphinxes and are frequently mentioned in eighteenth century inventories, almost always ascribed to Boulle's workshop. The 1724 inventory of the stock of the celebrated marchand mercier, Thomas Joachim Hébert includes: 'une paire de girandole à sphinx à trois branches et une bobèche au-dessus chacune de bronze doré d'or moulu 350 livres'. It is well known that Hébert worked frequently with Boulle. Other candelabra of this model appear in the following sales: Marin Delahaye, 1 December 1718, lot 104; duc de Richelieu, 18 December 1788, lot 715; marchand Poullain, 15 March 1780, lot 203.
A pair of candelabra bearing the cross of Lorraine and also attributed to Boulle was sold Sotheby's Monaco, 26 May 1980, lot 645. Another pair stamped with the 'C' Couronné poinçon was sold Sotheby's London, 11 December 1987, lot 227. Another pair without candlearms but also with the same stems and bases was sold from the collection of M. Hubert de Givenchy, Christie's Monaco, 4 December 1993, lot 8.
These candelabra with armorial shields displaying the cross of Lorraine, have traditionally been thought to have been commissioned by a member of the distinguished Guise family of Lorraine. In this context, it is interesting to note that a pair of candelabra appear in a 1731 inventory drawn up after the death of comtesse d'Evreux described as: 'deux girandoles de cuivre doré d'or moulu à quatre bobèches chacun sur leur torchères de bois sculpté et doré...1000 livres'. They were given to the comte d'Evreux by his sister-in-law Madame de Bouillon, who was born Louise-Henriette-François de Lorraine (1707-1737), and was the sister of the last prince de Guise who died in 1747. The same candelabra also appear in a 1753 posthumous inventory of the comte d'Evreux in the chambre de parade of the hôtel d'Evreux (now the Palais de Elysée). A clear link therefore appears between the commission of a pair of candelabra with the rare feature of four bobêches (as on the Doucet candelabra) and a member of the Guise family.
JACQUES DOUCET
Jacques Doucet (1851-1929) was a renowned Parisian couturier at the turn of the century. However, much of his fame today rests with the remarkable art collection he assembled at the end of the nineteenth century for his Parisian hôtels in the rue de la Ville and subsequently the rue Spontini. He bought from prestigious sales such as the Baron Double collection of 1881 (when Doucet was just 30), acquiring masterpieces by the great ébénistes Riesener, Carlin and Boulle. The sale of his own collection in 1912 following the death of his wife remains one of the landmark sales of the century.
A pair of candelabra bearing the cross of Lorraine and also attributed to Boulle was sold Sotheby's Monaco, 26 May 1980, lot 645. Another pair stamped with the 'C' Couronné poinçon was sold Sotheby's London, 11 December 1987, lot 227. Another pair without candlearms but also with the same stems and bases was sold from the collection of M. Hubert de Givenchy, Christie's Monaco, 4 December 1993, lot 8.
These candelabra with armorial shields displaying the cross of Lorraine, have traditionally been thought to have been commissioned by a member of the distinguished Guise family of Lorraine. In this context, it is interesting to note that a pair of candelabra appear in a 1731 inventory drawn up after the death of comtesse d'Evreux described as: 'deux girandoles de cuivre doré d'or moulu à quatre bobèches chacun sur leur torchères de bois sculpté et doré...1000 livres'. They were given to the comte d'Evreux by his sister-in-law Madame de Bouillon, who was born Louise-Henriette-François de Lorraine (1707-1737), and was the sister of the last prince de Guise who died in 1747. The same candelabra also appear in a 1753 posthumous inventory of the comte d'Evreux in the chambre de parade of the hôtel d'Evreux (now the Palais de Elysée). A clear link therefore appears between the commission of a pair of candelabra with the rare feature of four bobêches (as on the Doucet candelabra) and a member of the Guise family.
JACQUES DOUCET
Jacques Doucet (1851-1929) was a renowned Parisian couturier at the turn of the century. However, much of his fame today rests with the remarkable art collection he assembled at the end of the nineteenth century for his Parisian hôtels in the rue de la Ville and subsequently the rue Spontini. He bought from prestigious sales such as the Baron Double collection of 1881 (when Doucet was just 30), acquiring masterpieces by the great ébénistes Riesener, Carlin and Boulle. The sale of his own collection in 1912 following the death of his wife remains one of the landmark sales of the century.