Flambeaux a pieds carres
Candlestick
ca. 1774-ca. 1775 (made)
ca. 1774-ca. 1775 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Not many candlesticks in Sèvres porcelain have survived and these are consequently rare objects, made at the most prestigious French porcelain factory, owned by the king. They have been modelled as miniature barley-sugar twist columns and decorated in a light and feminine style with spiralling garlands of flowers. Similar items appear in contemporary paintings and prints showing wealthy noblewomen in their boudoirs. It is easy to imagine these candlesticks, sitting on the dressing table of one such lady, flanking a mirror and matching an array of porcelain pots containing different types of make-up. Candlesticks called bougoirs de toilette appear in the Sèvres factory records in 1774 and may denote candlesticks of this shape. For a white pair with garlands of flowers see 802 & A-1882, and another decorated with turquoise ground ribbons and colourful flowers is in the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor (National Trust).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Flambeaux a pieds carres (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilt |
| Brief description | Candlestick, barley sugar twist columns, square plinth, porcelain, decoration of leaves painted in enamels and gilt, Sèvres porcelain factory, France, about 1774-1775 |
| Physical description | Candlestick, one of a pair, barley sugar twist columns, square plinth, ormolu mounts, porcelain, decoration of leaves painted in enamels and gilt on a bleu nouveau ground. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Interlaced 'L's (Maker's mark, nearly obliterated, in blue/ brown enamel (CHECK)) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by John Jones |
| Object history | John Jones Bequest, Catalogue number 156. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Not many candlesticks in Sèvres porcelain have survived and these are consequently rare objects, made at the most prestigious French porcelain factory, owned by the king. They have been modelled as miniature barley-sugar twist columns and decorated in a light and feminine style with spiralling garlands of flowers. Similar items appear in contemporary paintings and prints showing wealthy noblewomen in their boudoirs. It is easy to imagine these candlesticks, sitting on the dressing table of one such lady, flanking a mirror and matching an array of porcelain pots containing different types of make-up. Candlesticks called bougoirs de toilette appear in the Sèvres factory records in 1774 and may denote candlesticks of this shape. For a white pair with garlands of flowers see 802 & A-1882, and another decorated with turquoise ground ribbons and colourful flowers is in the Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor (National Trust). |
| Associated object | 798A-1882 (Set) |
| Bibliographic reference | William King, Catalogue of the Jones Collection, II, Ceramics, ormolu, goldsmiths' work, enamels, sculpture, tapestry, books, and prints (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1924), p. 22, no. 156. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 798-1882 |
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| Record created | June 7, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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