Candelabrum
1806-1807 (marked)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The European mania for Egyptian motifs was influenced by Napoleon's campaign in North Africa in 1798. Though the branches of this candelabrum were probably designed by Jean-Jacques Boileau, the base was inspired by an engraving by the 18th-century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778).
By the early 19th century, the immense wealth of Britain's richest citizens enabled them to patronise the luxury trades of coach-builders, cabinet-makers and silversmiths. The Prince Regent (Later George IV) and his aristocratic contemporaries set the style of what became known as the Regency period.They were indebted to the most prestigious firm of London goldsmiths of the age, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. The company supplied silver at the forefront of fashion. Their large design studio included important artists such as John Flaxman and Jean-Jacques Boileau.
Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.
By the early 19th century, the immense wealth of Britain's richest citizens enabled them to patronise the luxury trades of coach-builders, cabinet-makers and silversmiths. The Prince Regent (Later George IV) and his aristocratic contemporaries set the style of what became known as the Regency period.They were indebted to the most prestigious firm of London goldsmiths of the age, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. The company supplied silver at the forefront of fashion. Their large design studio included important artists such as John Flaxman and Jean-Jacques Boileau.
Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since.
Object details
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| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 8 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Silver-gilt |
| Brief description | Silver-gilt candelabrum, London hallmarks for 1806-1807, mark of Benjamin Smith and Digby Scott |
| Physical description | The four-light candelabra each stand on a triangular base with incurved sides and canted angles and rest on three paw-and-wing feet supporting three couchant sphinxes at the angles. The sphinxes in turn support a platform of similar section to the base, chased with a band of palmettes and a band of large beads and foliage around the raised centre. The stem is modeled as three addorsed female figures in Egyptian headdress enclosed within a tapering cylindrical column that is chased on the upper part with a band of ostrich feathers. These scrolling foliage branches, each of which incorporates a lion mask and terminates in a stylized dolphin, spring from a large circular knop chased with acanthus and a band of egg-and-dart ornament; the central light is supported by a similar knop chased with palmettes. Each socket is of flattened circular form, fluted on the underside and containing a detachable nozzle. The coat of arms for William Henry Vane, 3rd Earl of Darlington is applied three times to the platform beneath the stem, and his armorial crest is applied to the three sides of the base. |
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| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: William Henry Vane, 3rd Earl of Darlington and 4th Duke of Cleveland. By descent to Baron Barnard, Raby Castle, sale, Christie's, July 15, 1975, lot 141. Purchased from S.J.Shrubsole Corporation, New York, 1975. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The European mania for Egyptian motifs was influenced by Napoleon's campaign in North Africa in 1798. Though the branches of this candelabrum were probably designed by Jean-Jacques Boileau, the base was inspired by an engraving by the 18th-century Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778). By the early 19th century, the immense wealth of Britain's richest citizens enabled them to patronise the luxury trades of coach-builders, cabinet-makers and silversmiths. The Prince Regent (Later George IV) and his aristocratic contemporaries set the style of what became known as the Regency period.They were indebted to the most prestigious firm of London goldsmiths of the age, Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. The company supplied silver at the forefront of fashion. Their large design studio included important artists such as John Flaxman and Jean-Jacques Boileau. Sir Arthur and Rosalinde Gilbert began collecting in the 1960s and over a period of 40 years formed one of the world’s great private collections of decorative arts. The collection consists of over 800 objects from the fields of European gold and silver, Italian mosaics and hardstone, portrait enamels and gold boxes. Sir Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996 to be housed at Somerset House, London, having previously been displayed at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). In 2008 the collection was moved to dedicated galleries in the V&A, where a selection has been on permanent display ever since. |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.776:1 to 17-2008 |
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| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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