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LES FLAMBEAUX DU PREMIER VALET DE CHAMBRE DE LOUIS XIV
SUITE DE QUATRE FLAMBEAUX EN ARGENT D'ÉPOQUE LOUIS XIV
PAR PIERRE MASSÉ, PARIS, 1679-1680
Details
SUITE DE QUATRE FLAMBEAUX EN ARGENT D'ÉPOQUE LOUIS XIV
PAR PIERRE MASSÉ, PARIS, 1679-1680
Chacun sur base carrée amatie et ciselée à chaque coin de chérubins tenant des masques de Midas et au centre de masques de femmes, repris sur les bases des fûts, les fûts de section carrée en forme de faisceau, les bords des binets décorés de festons feuillagés et masques grotesques, gravés sur les fonds d'armoiries doubles sous heaume de chevalier (deux styles de gravures), poinçons sur les fonds: charge, lettres-date (K et L) et maître-orfèvre; dans le fond des ombilics: maître-orfèvre; sous le bord des bases: maître-orfèvre et décharge
H. 20.5 cm. (8 in.)
2,282 gr. (73 oz. 17 dwt.)
Les armoiries d’alliance sont celles de François Quentin de la Vienne (1630-1710), 1er marquis de Champcenetz (1686-1710), seigneur de La Vienne, de Richebourg et de Courtacon et son épouse Élisabeth Orceau (1661- ?) probablement pour leur mariage célébré le 12 mars 1681 à Paris en l'église Saint-Eustache.
PAR PIERRE MASSÉ, PARIS, 1679-1680
Chacun sur base carrée amatie et ciselée à chaque coin de chérubins tenant des masques de Midas et au centre de masques de femmes, repris sur les bases des fûts, les fûts de section carrée en forme de faisceau, les bords des binets décorés de festons feuillagés et masques grotesques, gravés sur les fonds d'armoiries doubles sous heaume de chevalier (deux styles de gravures), poinçons sur les fonds: charge, lettres-date (K et L) et maître-orfèvre; dans le fond des ombilics: maître-orfèvre; sous le bord des bases: maître-orfèvre et décharge
H. 20.5 cm. (8 in.)
2,282 gr. (73 oz. 17 dwt.)
Les armoiries d’alliance sont celles de François Quentin de la Vienne (1630-1710), 1er marquis de Champcenetz (1686-1710), seigneur de La Vienne, de Richebourg et de Courtacon et son épouse Élisabeth Orceau (1661- ?) probablement pour leur mariage célébré le 12 mars 1681 à Paris en l'église Saint-Eustache.
Provenance
François Quentin de La Vienne (1630-1710), 1er marquis de Champcenetz (1686-1710), seigneur de La Vienne, de Richebourg et de Courtacon et son épouse Élisabeth Orceau (1661- ?) ;
Dr. Helena Wright, Christie's, Londres, 23 juin 1971, lot 65 ;
Acquis au cours de celle-ci par George Ortiz (1927-2013) ;
Puis par descendance.
Dr. Helena Wright, Christie's, Londres, 23 juin 1971, lot 65 ;
Acquis au cours de celle-ci par George Ortiz (1927-2013) ;
Puis par descendance.
Literature
H. Müller, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, European Silver, London, 1986, n. 18, p. 84-85.
M. Bimbenet-Privat, Les Orfèvres et l'Orfèvrerie de Paris au XVIIe siècle, Paris, 2002, Vol. 1, p. 442-443, vol. 2, p. 78-79.
D. Alcouffe, S. Baratte, E. Coquery, A. Dion, J. Durand, D. Gaborit-Chopin, G. Mabille, P. Malgouyres, M.L. de Rochebrune, E. Taburet- Delahaye, D. Kriser, C. Frémontier-Murphy, J. Vittet, Nouvelles acquisitions du département des Objets d'art : 1995- 2002, Paris, 2003, cat. 51.
M. Bimbenet-Privat, F. Doux et C. Gougeon, Orfèvrerie de la Renaissance et des Temps Modernes, XVIe, XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, Vol. 1, Paris, 2022, p. 171, n. 40.
M. Bimbenet-Privat, Les Orfèvres et l'Orfèvrerie de Paris au XVIIe siècle, Paris, 2002, Vol. 1, p. 442-443, vol. 2, p. 78-79.
D. Alcouffe, S. Baratte, E. Coquery, A. Dion, J. Durand, D. Gaborit-Chopin, G. Mabille, P. Malgouyres, M.L. de Rochebrune, E. Taburet- Delahaye, D. Kriser, C. Frémontier-Murphy, J. Vittet, Nouvelles acquisitions du département des Objets d'art : 1995- 2002, Paris, 2003, cat. 51.
M. Bimbenet-Privat, F. Doux et C. Gougeon, Orfèvrerie de la Renaissance et des Temps Modernes, XVIe, XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, Vol. 1, Paris, 2022, p. 171, n. 40.
Further Details
A SET OF FOUR LOUIS XIV SILVER CANDLESTICKS MARK OF PIERRE MASSÉ, PARIS, 1679-1680
Each on square base chased at each corner with a Midas' mask held by two putti and in the centre with female masks on matted ground, repeated on the central knop, the fasces-shaped stem chased on the upper rim with foliate festoons and grotesques, engraved underneath with accollé coats-of-arms under knight's helm, marked on underside: charge, date-letter (K and L) and maker; inside the domed centres: maker; under foot-rims: decharge and maker
The arms are those of François Quentin de La Vienne (1630-1710), 1er marquis de Champcenetz (1686-1710) seigneur de La Vienne, de Richebourg and de Courtacon and his wife Elisabeth Orceau (1661- ?) probably for their wedding on 12th March 1681.
François Quentin de La Vienne (fig. 1) began his career as a barber before attracting the attention of Louis XIV, who opened the doors of the royal court to him and enabled his remarkable rise through the ranks of royal administration. Over the course of his career, he held numerous offices, including Councillor to the Parlement of Paris, King's Secretary and Councillor, Deputy for Calvados, Alderman of Tours, Intendant of the Généralité of Caen, Mayor of Tours, and President of the Grand Conseil.
From Louis XIV's barber to marquis
Born on 13 November 1630 at La Celle-Saint-Avant in Touraine, François Quentin was the son of René Quentin, Seigneur de La Ménardière and Richebourg, and Antoinette Binet. The Quentins were an old Touraine family. François's younger brother Jean, born in 1637, would later become Baron de Champlost.
In the 1660s, François left his native Touraine to established himself as a barber in Paris. At the time, barbers enjoyed considerable prestige, their duties extending well beyond hair-cutting to include grooming, perfuming, cosmetics, and often acting as trusted confidants. François attracted the attention of the young Louis XIV as he provided restorative preparations reputed to revive the King's amorous vigour.
His growing favour with the monarch soon secured him entry into the royal household. On 22 December 1670, he purchased the office of First Barber to the King, personally shaving and dressing the King's hairs, while his brother Jean, who remained a wigmaker, supplied the magnificent wigs worn by Louis XIV.
Four years later, in 1674, François was appointed 'Valet de Chambre Ordinaire du Roi', a position that brought him into daily contact with Louis XIV. Then in December 1679, with the support of Madame de Montespan, he acquired the office of First Gentleman of the Bedchamber. His loyalty and faithful service were rewarded two years later when, by letters patent dated 29 June 1681, Louis XIV raised him to the nobility.
Building upon his success, François Quentin purchased the seigneury of La Vienne in 1685, adopting its name as his territorial designation. In the same year, he acquired further estates in Brie from Louis III Caillebot de La Salle. In recognition of his services, the King elevated Champcenetz together with several neighbouring estates into a marquisate by letters patent of 2 December 1686. Admitted to the Honours of the Court in 1687, François Quentin de La Vienne also became one of the King's Councillors. His fortune continued to increase. In 1700 he inherited the seigneury of Richebourg from distant members of his family. Three years later, the King granted the survivorship of his office to his son, Louis Quentin, thereby ensuring the transmission of both his rank and privileges.
François Quentin died on 11 August 1710, aged seventy-nine, in his apartments at the Louvre, where he had lived in close proximity to the monarch whom he had served for so many years. He was buried in the church of Saint-Martin at Champcenest, on his estates in Brie.
Pierre Massé: The Master of the Flambeau 'à la Financière'
This suite of four candlesticks, known as 'flambeaux carrés' or more commonly 'flambeaux à la financière', were a favourite model of Pierre Massé. Their decorative elements were cast from moulds, enabling efficient production while allowing the silversmith to vary the ornamental repertoire so that each pair remained unique.
Massé employed a wide variety of decorative motifs. Some examples feature foliage or floral ornament, while others are decorated with dolphins, as on the pair in the Louvre dated 1664–1665 (OA 11956). Others incorporate masks and putti, as seen on a pair now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, formerly in the Léon Helft and Morgan collections, dated 1675–1676 (Elizabeth and Harvey Jr. Firestone Collection, inv. 1993.461.1.2). For the present suite of four, he employs female heads coiffed in the Egyptian manner, heads of Midas, and putti.
Despite their enduring popularity among collectors, including William Beckford, who owned several pairs in his celebrated collection, dispersed at Christie's on the 4th November 1919. Thus lot 107 comprises four candlesticks similarly decorated to those in the Ortiz Collection, although dated 1703 and 1704.
Only seven comparable pairs are presently recorded in public collections:
A pair of parcel-gilt silver candlesticks with circular bases and fluted stems, dated 1653–1654, Musée de l'Armée, Paris (inv. Cc3).
A pair of silver flambeaux with square bases, dated 1660–1661, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Stavros S. Niarchos Gift (inv. OA 9680).
A pair of silver candlesticks from the dressing service of Princess Hedvig Sophia of Sweden, c.1660 (guild mark erased), Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen.
A pair of parcel-gilt dressing-table candlesticks with square chamfered bases from the Lennoxlove toilet service, dated 1661–1663, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh.
A pair of parcel-gilt candlesticks with square bases decorated with dolphin friezes and fluted stems, dated 1664–1665, Thyssen Collection, Lugano.
A pair of silver candlesticks with square bases decorated with dolphin friezes and fluted stems, dated 1664–1665, Musée du Louvre, Department of Decorative Arts (inv. OA 11956–11957), gifted by Bernard and Françoise Steinitz in 2000.
A pair of parcel-gilt dressing-table candlesticks with square bases and fluted stems, dated 1675–1676, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Elizabeth Parke and Harvey Jr. Firestone Collection (inv. 1993.461.1.2), formerly in the collections of Léon Helft, Junius Spencer Morgan and Jacques Helft.
Each on square base chased at each corner with a Midas' mask held by two putti and in the centre with female masks on matted ground, repeated on the central knop, the fasces-shaped stem chased on the upper rim with foliate festoons and grotesques, engraved underneath with accollé coats-of-arms under knight's helm, marked on underside: charge, date-letter (K and L) and maker; inside the domed centres: maker; under foot-rims: decharge and maker
The arms are those of François Quentin de La Vienne (1630-1710), 1er marquis de Champcenetz (1686-1710) seigneur de La Vienne, de Richebourg and de Courtacon and his wife Elisabeth Orceau (1661- ?) probably for their wedding on 12th March 1681.
François Quentin de La Vienne (fig. 1) began his career as a barber before attracting the attention of Louis XIV, who opened the doors of the royal court to him and enabled his remarkable rise through the ranks of royal administration. Over the course of his career, he held numerous offices, including Councillor to the Parlement of Paris, King's Secretary and Councillor, Deputy for Calvados, Alderman of Tours, Intendant of the Généralité of Caen, Mayor of Tours, and President of the Grand Conseil.
From Louis XIV's barber to marquis
Born on 13 November 1630 at La Celle-Saint-Avant in Touraine, François Quentin was the son of René Quentin, Seigneur de La Ménardière and Richebourg, and Antoinette Binet. The Quentins were an old Touraine family. François's younger brother Jean, born in 1637, would later become Baron de Champlost.
In the 1660s, François left his native Touraine to established himself as a barber in Paris. At the time, barbers enjoyed considerable prestige, their duties extending well beyond hair-cutting to include grooming, perfuming, cosmetics, and often acting as trusted confidants. François attracted the attention of the young Louis XIV as he provided restorative preparations reputed to revive the King's amorous vigour.
His growing favour with the monarch soon secured him entry into the royal household. On 22 December 1670, he purchased the office of First Barber to the King, personally shaving and dressing the King's hairs, while his brother Jean, who remained a wigmaker, supplied the magnificent wigs worn by Louis XIV.
Four years later, in 1674, François was appointed 'Valet de Chambre Ordinaire du Roi', a position that brought him into daily contact with Louis XIV. Then in December 1679, with the support of Madame de Montespan, he acquired the office of First Gentleman of the Bedchamber. His loyalty and faithful service were rewarded two years later when, by letters patent dated 29 June 1681, Louis XIV raised him to the nobility.
Building upon his success, François Quentin purchased the seigneury of La Vienne in 1685, adopting its name as his territorial designation. In the same year, he acquired further estates in Brie from Louis III Caillebot de La Salle. In recognition of his services, the King elevated Champcenetz together with several neighbouring estates into a marquisate by letters patent of 2 December 1686. Admitted to the Honours of the Court in 1687, François Quentin de La Vienne also became one of the King's Councillors. His fortune continued to increase. In 1700 he inherited the seigneury of Richebourg from distant members of his family. Three years later, the King granted the survivorship of his office to his son, Louis Quentin, thereby ensuring the transmission of both his rank and privileges.
François Quentin died on 11 August 1710, aged seventy-nine, in his apartments at the Louvre, where he had lived in close proximity to the monarch whom he had served for so many years. He was buried in the church of Saint-Martin at Champcenest, on his estates in Brie.
Pierre Massé: The Master of the Flambeau 'à la Financière'
This suite of four candlesticks, known as 'flambeaux carrés' or more commonly 'flambeaux à la financière', were a favourite model of Pierre Massé. Their decorative elements were cast from moulds, enabling efficient production while allowing the silversmith to vary the ornamental repertoire so that each pair remained unique.
Massé employed a wide variety of decorative motifs. Some examples feature foliage or floral ornament, while others are decorated with dolphins, as on the pair in the Louvre dated 1664–1665 (OA 11956). Others incorporate masks and putti, as seen on a pair now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, formerly in the Léon Helft and Morgan collections, dated 1675–1676 (Elizabeth and Harvey Jr. Firestone Collection, inv. 1993.461.1.2). For the present suite of four, he employs female heads coiffed in the Egyptian manner, heads of Midas, and putti.
Despite their enduring popularity among collectors, including William Beckford, who owned several pairs in his celebrated collection, dispersed at Christie's on the 4th November 1919. Thus lot 107 comprises four candlesticks similarly decorated to those in the Ortiz Collection, although dated 1703 and 1704.
Only seven comparable pairs are presently recorded in public collections:
A pair of parcel-gilt silver candlesticks with circular bases and fluted stems, dated 1653–1654, Musée de l'Armée, Paris (inv. Cc3).
A pair of silver flambeaux with square bases, dated 1660–1661, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Stavros S. Niarchos Gift (inv. OA 9680).
A pair of silver candlesticks from the dressing service of Princess Hedvig Sophia of Sweden, c.1660 (guild mark erased), Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen.
A pair of parcel-gilt dressing-table candlesticks with square chamfered bases from the Lennoxlove toilet service, dated 1661–1663, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh.
A pair of parcel-gilt candlesticks with square bases decorated with dolphin friezes and fluted stems, dated 1664–1665, Thyssen Collection, Lugano.
A pair of silver candlesticks with square bases decorated with dolphin friezes and fluted stems, dated 1664–1665, Musée du Louvre, Department of Decorative Arts (inv. OA 11956–11957), gifted by Bernard and Françoise Steinitz in 2000.
A pair of parcel-gilt dressing-table candlesticks with square bases and fluted stems, dated 1675–1676, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Elizabeth Parke and Harvey Jr. Firestone Collection (inv. 1993.461.1.2), formerly in the collections of Léon Helft, Junius Spencer Morgan and Jacques Helft.
Brought to you by
Paul Gallois
Head of European Furniture, EMEA