LATE 18TH CENTURY

The George III bronze vases, concealing candle-nozzles in domed lids, are conceived in the French/antique manner inspired by the Grecian lantern. Displayed on stepped plinths, the thyrsus-finialed and pillar-supported urns are cradled in bacchic altar-tripods with ram monopodia, while tasselled chains originally hung from laurel-tied ram-heads wreathing their rims. While related bronze vases were sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 6 November 1986, lot 63, they were usually executed with white marble 'egg' bodies, such as those from the Fermor-Hesketh Collection, sold Christie's, London, 7 July 1988, lot 2.