Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, candlesticks were usually made as a pair, or as several dozen in the case of royal commissions. Candles were expensive commodities, with the best versions made in beeswax, or slighty cheaper tallow (animal fat) and whale oil.

Several London workshops made variations of this candlestick, ranging between 1731 and 1749, with its squared stem, shell-mounted shoulders and shaped base. These bear the maker’s mark of Paul de Lamerie, the most celebrated silversmith of Huguenot origin during this era. He also produced another pair with similar supports for Prime Minister Robert Walpole (1676-1745).

During France’s Protestant persecution in the 1680s, many skilled craftsmen and their families fled to London. Their technical skills and fashionable French style ensured the luxury silver, furniture, watches and jewellery they made were highly sought after. Huguenot specialists transformed English silver by introducing higher standards of craftsmanship. They promoted new forms, such as the soup tureen and sauceboat, and introduced a new repertoire of ornament, with cast sculptural details and exquisite engraving.
De Lamerie was recognised for his immense skill at producing fashionable and inventive silver, but also his ability in widening his workshop’s offering by employing other talented craftsmen. He received many commissions from English aristocracy throughout his lifetime, which ensured a second-hand market for his work quickly formed after his death and peaked in the 20th century. Sir Arthur Gilbert acquired a remarkable total of 25 pieces by de Lamerie.

Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.