A Pair French 1st Empire Period Ormolu & Verde Antico Marble Figural Candelabra

Description

A Fine and Unusual Pair of French 1st Empire Period Doré Bronze and Verde Antico Marble Figural Neoclassical Five-Arm Candelabra. Each candelabrum features a tall central shaft issuing five gilt bronze candle arms arranged in a radial arc, each cast with fluted nozzles, stiff-leaf collars, and coiled scroll supports. The arms radiate from a central foliate knop above a slender patinated bronze stem, which rises from a richly ornamented gilt column with ribbed and stylized palm leaf sections. This structure is flanked by a fully modeled classical figure—one male, one female—each finely cast in doré bronze, referring to a mercury gilding technique that permanently fuses gold to bronze through a complex fire process. This gilding method produces a durable and lustrous finish, characteristic of the finest bronzes produced in early 19th-century France. The male figure is portrayed in a short Roman tunic with a mantle draped over one shoulder, his right arm raised to rest on the fluted column. The female figure is cloaked in a veil, her posture modest, with arms crossed over her chest. Both figures stand on ornate tripartite bases, each side featuring a winged female figure holding a set of scales, framed by foliate scrolls and lion-paw feet. These detailed mounts are crisply cast and chased, with extensive attention to drapery folds, anatomical articulation, and facial expression. The composition of each figure is carefully integrated into the vertical structure of the candelabrum, merging sculpture and function into a unified architectural form. The bases are constructed from verde antico marble, a rich dark green stone with black veining, popular in Empire design for its visual depth and classical associations. Each marble plinth is mounted with large applied doré bronze plaques depicting classical maidens engaged in symbolic or mythological activities—one playing a lyre, another releasing doves, one holding a torch, and another accompanied by a leaping panther. These scenes are individually cast and affixed to the surface, framed by patinated bronze panels with roundel bosses, and resting on stepped gilt bronze bases with a running band of stylized anthemia and palmettes. This model is exceptionally rare and represents a high point in French Empire ornamental bronze. Candelabra with full-figure supports, multi-tiered bases, and mixed marble and metal construction were reserved for elite commissions and palace interiors. The combination of verde antico marble, large-scale fully modeled figures, and five elaborately cast candle arms is consistent with pieces attributed to Claude Galle and Pierre-Philippe Thomire, bronziers who supplied furnishings to the Imperial household and the residences of Napoleon’s closest allies. Few examples of this ambition survive, and nearly all are housed in major institutional collections such as the Château de Fontainebleau and the Mobilier National. France, Circa: 1810

Details

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