A FINE PAIR OF GEORGE III CARVED GILTWOOD CANDLE STANDS circa 1775

each of tripod form, the three legs ornamented with strings of husks and headed by horned goats' masks and with hoof feet, supported on triangular open bases on turned toes, the circular tops ornamented with carved foliate circles enclosing flower heads within plain moldings, each entwined with a snake with a forked tongue.  Re-gilt.

With M. Harris and Sons, London, circa 1930  

The Collection of Eric Moller, Thorncombe Park, Surrey

Sold, Sotheby's, London, November 18, 1993, lot 95, The Moller Collection of English Furniture and Clocks from Thorncombe Park, Surrey

Grosvenor House Antique Dealers' Fair, 1937, illustrated in publicity pages of The Antique Collector, November 1937

M. Harris and Sons, A Catalogue and Index of Old Furniture and Works of Art, London, circa 1930, vol. III, pl. 244, p. 245

Good restored condition, re-gilt, the tops with minor age cracks, overall with some small chips to gilding with some minor wear.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Ringed by goat ram heads and serpents, symbols respectively of the wine god Bacchus and the grain god Ceres, these elegant giltwood  torchères follow the form of ancient Roman tripods, typifying the 'archaeological' style of furniture in the age of Neoclassicism. First revived in France by the 17^th century sculptor François Girardon, its use was pioneered in England by the architect James 'Athenian' Stuart, who adapted to the design of gilt-metal perfume burners and candlestand in the late 1750s. The surviving drawings of Stuart's contemporary and rival Robert Adam include numerous designs for torchères of this sort and, through his influence, the tripod quickly became an article of fashion whose popularity among the nobility and gentry is evidenced by the many surviving examples from major country house collections, such as those at Saltram in Devon, Harewood House in Yorkshire, and Clandon Park in Surrey. Those at Clandon are similarly ornamented with goat's heads and snakes (See: lot 99 in this sale), as have a pair illustrated in Goodison and Beard, English Furniture 1500-1840, 1987, p. 157.