Lot Essay
This model was particularly favoured by English collectors and a number of the examples that survive in English country house collections were most probably sold by the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre, Poirier's successor, who came to London in 1787 at the invitation of the Prince Regent. The rights to this model may originally have belonged to Poirier who delivered to Madame du Barry in 1770 'une paire de girandoles à trois branches en bronze doré d'or moulu ornées de figures de porcelaine de France 624 livres'.
This model of candelabra exists in two basic patterns, of which the present pair is the better-known model (see H. Ottomeyer and P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. II, p. 156, fig 3.2.2 where an attribution to Philippe Caffiéri is suggested). The other model features two putti with hands in identical but opposed positions. Such a pair, formerly in the collection of the Baron de Rothschild, subsequently in the Wildenstein collection, was sold, from the collection of Mr. Akram Ojjeh, Sotheby's Monaco, 25 June, 1979, lot 51. Examples of both models were included in the collection of Hubert de Givenchy, sold at Christie's Monaco, 4 December 1993, lot 5 and 6 (the latter sold previously by the Trustees of Lord Hillingdon's Heirlooms Settlement, Sotheby's London, 6 July 1979, lot 164).
This model of candelabra exists in two basic patterns, of which the present pair is the better-known model (see H. Ottomeyer and P. Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. II, p. 156, fig 3.2.2 where an attribution to Philippe Caffiéri is suggested). The other model features two putti with hands in identical but opposed positions. Such a pair, formerly in the collection of the Baron de Rothschild, subsequently in the Wildenstein collection, was sold, from the collection of Mr. Akram Ojjeh, Sotheby's Monaco, 25 June, 1979, lot 51. Examples of both models were included in the collection of Hubert de Givenchy, sold at Christie's Monaco, 4 December 1993, lot 5 and 6 (the latter sold previously by the Trustees of Lord Hillingdon's Heirlooms Settlement, Sotheby's London, 6 July 1979, lot 164).