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Lot Essay
The combination of ormolu and blue john or fluorspath in late 18th Century French bronze d'ameublement was a rare occurrence. The few known examples, like the present pair of candlesticks, may have derived from English prototypes such as those by the celebrated Birmingham silversmith and bronze worker Matthew Boulton. Boulton used this hardstone from Derbyshire for some of his most celebrated objects including cassolettes, candelabra and ewers (N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, London, 1974).