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Lot Essay
The arms are those of Fletcher, 3rd Baron Grantley of Markenfield, Yorkshire (1798-1875). Educated at Sandhurst, he served as an officer in the Grenadier Guards, was present at the Battle of Quatre Bras and was wounded at Waterloo. In 1825, he married Charlotte Earle, daughter of Sir William Beechey.
Robert Garrard produced several figural candlesticks based on the well-known candelabrum designed by Thomas Germain. A pair dating to 1819 and 1826 sold in these rooms, April 18, 1991, lot 365. A similar pair of 1825 and 1826 is illustrated in J. Bliss, The Jerome and Rita Gans Collection of English Silver, n.d., no. 69, pp. 200-03.
The present examples retain the sunflower candle branches of Germain's model, appropriately symbolic of the sun god Apollo. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Apollo's love Chlyte was transformed into a sunflower, forever turning her head to follow the path of her lover. The base of the candlesticks departs from the Germain model, yet provides another reference to light and love. Ariadne provided her lover Theseus with the thread to find his way from the darkness of the Minotaur's labyrinth. Later deserted by Theseus, Ariadne was rescued by Bacchus and became his wife.
Garrard is known to have supplied other plate to Lord Grantley in the French rococo style, including a tureen with stand of 1824 illustrated in The Campbell Museum Collection, 1972, no. 14. A set of six figural salt-cellars of 1824 are now in the collection of Fairfax House.
Robert Garrard produced several figural candlesticks based on the well-known candelabrum designed by Thomas Germain. A pair dating to 1819 and 1826 sold in these rooms, April 18, 1991, lot 365. A similar pair of 1825 and 1826 is illustrated in J. Bliss, The Jerome and Rita Gans Collection of English Silver, n.d., no. 69, pp. 200-03.
The present examples retain the sunflower candle branches of Germain's model, appropriately symbolic of the sun god Apollo. According to Ovid's Metamorphoses, Apollo's love Chlyte was transformed into a sunflower, forever turning her head to follow the path of her lover. The base of the candlesticks departs from the Germain model, yet provides another reference to light and love. Ariadne provided her lover Theseus with the thread to find his way from the darkness of the Minotaur's labyrinth. Later deserted by Theseus, Ariadne was rescued by Bacchus and became his wife.
Garrard is known to have supplied other plate to Lord Grantley in the French rococo style, including a tureen with stand of 1824 illustrated in The Campbell Museum Collection, 1972, no. 14. A set of six figural salt-cellars of 1824 are now in the collection of Fairfax House.