While a young man Lyonel Tollemache spent lavishly on silver, mostly produced in the workshop of David Willaume, but from about 1740, Paul Crespin appears to have become the main supplier. Without doubt Crespin became on of the most accomplished goldsmiths of the second quarter of the 18th century. Commissions were received from George II, including a christening bowl for his godson, George, 3rd son of Lyonel Tollemache, the King of Portugal and Catherine the Great. Perhaps his most outstanding creation is the centrepiece, made for Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1741, now in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen (see Elaine Barr, George Wickes, Royal Goldsmith 1698-1761, 1980, fig 103). Although recorded bankrupt in the Gentleman's Magazine in February 1747, his mark is found on many pieces until his retirement in 1760.

The design of these remarkable candlesticks has consistently been attributed to Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695-1750) and many designs for both silver and gilt-bronze candlesticks were published by him. However the design of a similar pair of gilt-bronze candlesticks in the Wallace Collection, London, cat. no. F.76 are attributed to Slodtz in the catalogue by Sir Francis Watson. In the catalogue he notes that, 'the design bears general resemblance to a pen and ink drawing for a candlestick by one of the brothers Slodtz,' which is now in the Bibliothèque National, Paris (repr. Portefeuille, pl. 124). Ap[art from the silver and gilt-bronze examples, a pair of carved from wood are also known.

The five Slodtz brothers were sons of Sebastian Slodtz (1655-1726). Three of them, Antoine-Sebastian (circa. 1695-1754), Paul-Amboise (1702-1758), and René-Michel (1705-17640), are known to have worked for the French Royal family and each in turn became Dessinateur de la Chambre du Roi