CIRCA 1760

The stand for vases and candlesticks has an octagonal tray raised on a flower-wreathed and acanthus-wrapped tripod pillar, that is conceived in the George II manner as 'picturesque' French-fashioned Roman candelabra. Its addorsed C-scroll plinth raised on 'grottoe' bases relates to that of a 1756 'candlestand' pattern published in the carver Thomas Johnson's, Collection of Designs, 1758 (pl. 13). The latter pattern, celebrating love's triumph with a 'Venus' fountain and embowed dolphins, was adopted for petrified candlestands introduced in the rustic Gallery created at Hagley, Worcestershire by Sir George Lyttleton, 5th Bt. and 1st Baron Lyttleton of Frankley (d.1773). The latter also featured four truss-scrolled feet (see R. Edwards and M. Jourdain, Georgian Cabinet-Makers, London, 1955, fig.77). Four related tripod-based stands, with fruit and flowers festooned, their wave-scrolled pillars in evocation of the summer and harvest deity Ceres, were supplied in 1763 for Petworth, Surrey by Samuel Norman (d.1767) (G. Jackson-Stops, Furniture at Petworth, Apollo, May 1977, p. 363, fig. 16). Related candle stands, formerly in the possession of Messrs. A. Cook were exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1962 (Victoria and Albert Museum, International Art Treasures Exhibition Catalogue, 1962, no. 112, p.52; and (A. Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, London, 1968, fig. 290).

A George II mahogany stand with a similar leg arrangement, with the back legs conceived to stand against a wall, was sold from the Collection of the Late Anne, Lady Hollenden, Christie's London, 23 November 2006, lot 20.