.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The candelabra's Atlas-posed Hercules recalls the Villa Albani's faun caryatids illustrated in Henry Moses, A Collection of Antique vases, altars, paterae, tripods etc., l8l4, and derived from G.B. Piranesi's Vasi, candelabri, cippi, sarcophagi etc., Rome, 1778. The figure was introduced for candelabra executed for George, Prince Regent, later King George IV, by Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy (d. l854), who had succeeded in 1811 to his father's Pall Mall clock-manufacturing business and served as the Prince's 'Furniture man'.
The Prince's candelabra, involved fifteen different craftsman and firms over a two year period, and were invoiced in 1814. A related set of four triple-branched candelabra were supplied to Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson (d. 1818), (see T.Rodrigues et al., Treasures of the North, London, February 2000, no. 124).
The figure supports a serpent-wreathed vase, whose pattern featured on other bronze candelabra executed for the Prince by Vulliamy between 1806 and 1811 (J. Harris et al., Buckingham Palace, London, l958, p. 156).
With their gothic turreted vase they relate to a chandelier, now in the library at Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire, attributed to Bullock, which was added to the Castle in 1817 (see C. Wainwright, George Bullock, Cabinet-Maker, London, 1988, p. 56, fig. 3).
The fusion of antique and old English forms are reminiscent of the lamp manufactures of Messrs Hancock and Rixon, trading as lustre, lamp and glass manufacturers from Cockspur Street, Pall Mall in the 1820s and from Great Marlborough Street in the 1830s (see a pair of colza-oil lamps sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 8 July l998, lot 77.)
The Prince's candelabra, involved fifteen different craftsman and firms over a two year period, and were invoiced in 1814. A related set of four triple-branched candelabra were supplied to Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson (d. 1818), (see T.Rodrigues et al., Treasures of the North, London, February 2000, no. 124).
The figure supports a serpent-wreathed vase, whose pattern featured on other bronze candelabra executed for the Prince by Vulliamy between 1806 and 1811 (J. Harris et al., Buckingham Palace, London, l958, p. 156).
With their gothic turreted vase they relate to a chandelier, now in the library at Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire, attributed to Bullock, which was added to the Castle in 1817 (see C. Wainwright, George Bullock, Cabinet-Maker, London, 1988, p. 56, fig. 3).
The fusion of antique and old English forms are reminiscent of the lamp manufactures of Messrs Hancock and Rixon, trading as lustre, lamp and glass manufacturers from Cockspur Street, Pall Mall in the 1820s and from Great Marlborough Street in the 1830s (see a pair of colza-oil lamps sold anonymously, in these Rooms, 8 July l998, lot 77.)