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Lot Essay
These white marble candelabra, dating from the mid-1770s, comprise bacchic ram-headed altar-pedestals, enriched with laurel-festooned medallions, and displaying krater-vases. The latter, wreathed and festooned with laurels, bear acanthus-wrapped branches issuing palm-wrapped candle-vases set on 'Apollo' sunflowered paterae. While the branches relate to a pattern numbered '125' in Boulton's Pattern Book 1, p. 11, the vases themselves relate, with variations, to vase candlesticks in the same Book 1, p. 171 (Goodison, 2002, figs. 312.1, 302 and 303). One of the latter's beribboned medallions framing gem-like bas reliefs of a sacrifice, as well as Venus, the Water deity Neptune and Earth goddess Pomona; while its companion displays the health deities Aesculapius and Hygieia, together with Achilles and an ancient hero. An alternative medallion recorded on 'vase' candelabra of this pattern at Weston Park, Staffordshire is emblematical of Filial Piety.
Amongst other vases of this pattern is one that is likely to have been amongst Boulton's manufactures acquired by Empress Catherine of Russia (Goodison, 2002, p. 314, 315, 340, n. 556 and fig. 77).
Apley Park, Salop, was designed by John Webb (1754-1828) in castellated Gothic revival style between 1811-1820 for Thomas Whitmore. It was bought by the Foster family in 1867. When these vases arrived at Apley is open to conjecture.
Amongst other vases of this pattern is one that is likely to have been amongst Boulton's manufactures acquired by Empress Catherine of Russia (Goodison, 2002, p. 314, 315, 340, n. 556 and fig. 77).
Apley Park, Salop, was designed by John Webb (1754-1828) in castellated Gothic revival style between 1811-1820 for Thomas Whitmore. It was bought by the Foster family in 1867. When these vases arrived at Apley is open to conjecture.