THE PORCELAIN AFTER THE MODEL BY J.J. KANDLER, CIRCA 1745

This charming candelabrum with its Meissen figure surrounded by flowers reflects the charm and ingenuity of the Parisan marchands-merciers. Their unique status as both importers and designers along with their extensive network of artisans turned them into the arbiters of taste for the Royal court and the aristocracy. As with this candelabrum, the marchands-merciers’ designs incorporated disparate materials to create entirely new objets de luxe. The popularity for mounting porcelain became such that eventually the cost of the mounts began to outrun the value of the porcelain which it adorned. These whimsical creations have had constant appeal to collectors and are among the few objects that were described in detail in late 18th century sale catalogues, an apt illustration of their continuous appeal to collectors.
The superb bronzes of this charming candelabrum, with their bold, vigorous scrolls, are evidently the work of an accomplished bronzier. It is interesting to note therefore their similarity to the base of the celebrated silver and ormolu écritoire supplied by the silversmith François-Thomas Germain to Jean-Baptiste de Machault d’Arnouville, which features the same distinctive cross-hatching within the scrolls (see V. Pruchniki, Arnouville, Paris, 2013, pp. 62-3).