BY MATTHEW BOULTON, CIRCA 1775

Details

A PAIR OF GEORGE III BLUE-JOHN AND ORMOLU TWIN-LIGHT CANDELABRA
BY MATTHEW BOULTON, CIRCA 1775
The twin-handled and swagged oviform urns each issuing a pair of removable acanthus-wrapped scrolling branches, on square-spreading socles with fluted and guilloche ornament, with white marble plinths, one with regilded branches, the central foliate vertical stalk on each branch later
14 in. (35½ cm.) high (2)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The ovoid Derbyshire blue-john vases have laurelled bacchic ram-head handles as featured in a sketch in the Birmingham manufacturer, Matthew Boulton's 'Pattern Book' (N. Goodison, Ormolu,The Works of Matthew Boulton, London, 1974, pl. 163, fig. m). Marble 'perfume' vases on ormolu 'altar' plinths of this pattern are illustrated in Mallett, The Age of Matthew Boulton, 2004, p.68, while a pair on marble plinths were sold in these Rooms, 13 November 1997, lot 55. Their branch pattern also features in the Boulton archive. A similar pair of candelabra, with white marble instead of bluejohn, was previously in the collection of Maurice Turpin Ltd. (N. Goodison, Matthew Boulton: Ormolu, London, 2002, p. 183, fig. 123, no. 515 and p. 306, fig. 280).

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