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Lot Essay
The design for these impressive candelabra-vases, featuring infant Tritons and fruit-filled cornucopiae is attributed to the fondeur-ciseleur Pierre Gouthière for chimney garnitures circa 1775. Among the few remaining 18th century examples known today, a pair of candelabra probably originally in the Collection of Empress Joséphine at the Tuileries Palace, is now in the Musée du Louvre ( ill. in D. Alcouffe, A. Dion-Tenenbaum and G. Mabille ed., Gilt Bronzes in the Louvre, p. 110, fig. 51.), a further example, formerly in the Collection of the Baron Henri de Rothschild is now in the J. P. Getty Museum, Malibu (G. Wilson and C. Hess, Summary catalogue of European Decorative Arts in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2001, p. 78, fig. 155), and further related examples are in the Victoria & Albert Museum and at the Palace of Pavlovsk, (O. Brackett, Catalogue of the Jones Collection, vol II, London 1922, p. 55, cat. 204 and E. Ducamp, ed., Pavlovsk - The collections, Paris, 1993, p. 188, fig. 22). A closely related pair of ormolu and white marble candelabra-vases was sold from Hackwood House, Christie's house sale, 20-22 April 1998, lot 111.