An exceptionally rare pair of two-tone gilt-bronze, patinated bronze and Chinese blue ground porcelain nine light candelabra the mounts attributed to Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1741-1843) circa 1820 - 1830, the porcelain late 18th/early 19th century

each with an octagonal body flanked by winged Egyptian herm figures suspending vine garlands surmounted by a fluted neck issuinga  foliate and fruiting spray, with detachable superstructure with a gadrooned base issuing eight foliate and reeded scrolling branches terminating in cylindrical nozzles with removable drip-pans centered by further spirally fluted nozzle with removable flame finial, on four lion monopodia feet centered by a fruiting boss and a circular rouge griotte base centred by a gilt-bronze sunflower with four outset plinths and milled panels, each with two ball feet; largely regilt with traces of earlier mercury gilding, the candlenozzles drilled for electricity

Sold Sotheby's New York, Collection of Roberto Polo, 3rd November 1989, lot 29
With Segoura, Paris
Private Collection, Paris
Partridge  Fine Arts London since at least 1999
Sold Partridge, Christie's, New York, 17th May 2006, lot 160

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partridge, Recent Acquisitions, 1999, p. 153-157, illustrated without their bases, p. 152, `An exceptionally important pair of sphinx vases by Pierre-Philippe Thomire', by Jean Neree Ronfort, where they were dated as circa 1785.

This pair of candleabra are in excellent condition and can be placed immediately and are of most impressive appearance. The gilt-bronze has been retouched and cleaned although there are traces of old mercury gilding. The ciselure has been well preserved and their opulence is immediately evident. One of the leaves on the foliate collar just beneath the candle arms is cracked but the fault is barely visible. There is an old firing crack to the porcelain concealed beneath one of the foliate mounts just to the left of one of the handles. It is original to the piece and can only been seen on very close inspection. There are two very small holes to each side of the caryatids handles to the lower part of the bronze section and may indicate an old fixing. (They are just visible in the photograph) The marble bases have very minor chips and marks along each edge but they do not detract from the overall appearance. The painted stands show some signs of wear and light chipping to the painted surface commensurate with age. Highly recommended.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
G. Wilson, Selections from the Decorative Arts in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 1983, p. 91.
Gillian Wilson, Mounted Oriental Porcelain in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 1999, pp. 102-103, no. 21, (70.DI. 115.)
Carlton House, the Past Glories of George IV's Palace, Exhibition at the Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Plalce, 1991-1992, p. 97, fig. 49 illustrated.
Geoffrey de Bellaigue, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Furniture and Gilt-bronzes, Vol. II, Fribourg, 1972, pp. 806-809, no. 223.
Peter Hughes, The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Furniture, Vol. III, London, 1996, p. 1237, (F132), no. 244.

These magnificent candelabra on monumental scale relate to a  group of gilt-bronze-mounted Chinese porcelain vases in the English Royal collection at Windsor Castle, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles and a private American collection (sold from a Private European Collection, Boulle to Jansen, Christie's, London, 11th -12th June 2003, lot 10)-see post.

The aforementioned related vases have some variations in the mounts to those upon this pair of candelabra however, they are bear many similarities. They are all on monopodia supports with similar grapevine garlands, with a berried finial above a virtually identical stretcher in rouge griotte marble inset with ribbed gilt-bronze panels, an alternating band of wheatsheaves and gadroonson the base of the vases, ball feet, although none are on such a large scale or in the form of garden seats as this rare pair. 

Ronfort states, op. cit., p.154, `These vases and candelabra , all of which have four animal feet, demonstrate a highly consistent overall style...The shape of the projections reflects the shape of the body, they are curved in the case of the vases and square in the case of garden seats'.

An attribution of the mounts on this group of vases to the early work of Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843), has been made by Gillian Wilson, op. cit., p.102. The grapevine garlands on these candelabra, can be repeatedly found on Thomire's work. The swags of vine leaves and grapes can be found on a porphyry urn by Thomire in the Wrightsman Collection, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. There is also a very large vase in the Louvre with a similar festoon of vine leaves and grapes, circa 1783. 

The caryatid supports to the sides also echo the designs of the influential dessinateur Jean-François Forty (d. 1788), whose Deuxième Cahier de vases features a design for a vase with similar caryatid figures (illustrated in P. Gélis-Didot, L'Oeuvre de J.-Fr. Forty, Dessinateur et Graveur, Paris, n.d., p.123).

It is also worthwhile considering the elements of the upper section of the candelabra which are comparable to those on other pieces which have been identified as being by or attributed to Thomire. One should consider the wall lights which are now in the Louvre which were delivered for the King's Salon des Jeux at St. Cloud (Louvre OA 5250). Another version of these is in the J. Paul Getty Museum and also the wall lights made for the Queen's Salon des Jeux at Compiègne, see de Bellaigue, op. cit., p. 807, recorded  in the Archives Nationales, as being made under the direction of Jean Hauré (active 1774-after 1796), from a model by Martin, cast by Forestier (Etienne-Jean or Pierre-Auguste, his brother) and chased by Thomire.
According to Ronfort, op. cit., p. 157, there is also a pair of candelabra (traditionally in part attributed to Rémond) in the Wallace Collection (F132), see Hughes, op. cit., p. 1239, which can also be attributed to Thomire. The upper section of those and the offered pair are close in that the foliage is similarly cast where the branches emerge and the eagle's heads and branches are identical. Three elements are found on all the branches of the wall lights referred to above and also on the offered pair. These are the burnished areas and the straight and twisted fluting and also each branch incorporates a motif specific to Thomire; a corolla of curling leaves which turn backwards with a beaded band above. This is a motif used on these candelabra and the St. Cloud wall lights but only on the nozzles.
The other similarities between the offered pair and the abovementioned wall lights and candelabra include the straight fluted branches which emerge from the curved central acanthus leaves, teh arabesque scrolls terminating in seed heads which appear below the branches of the St. Cloud wall lights and above the candlebranches of these candelbra  which are also applied with rosettes which also appear on the Compiègne wall lights.  

One should also consider in more detail the aforementioned related vases:
-An ovoid Chinese blue porcelain vase, originally one of a pair, in the Getty Museum, illustrated by Wilson, op. cit., p. 119, (70.DI.115), reproduced here in fig. 1. It  is on a similar rouge griotte base and mounted with satyr handles terminating in hoof feet with vine leaf and grape swags. This vase was formerly in the collection of the Polish Princess Isabella Lubormirska, (1736-1816), who had been a friend of Marie-Antoinette's and she is reputed to have acquired it at the sale of the contents of Versailles in 1794. It then passed to her grandson Count Alfred Potocki, from whom the museum acquired it.

- the other ovoid vase may well have been purchased at the same sale as the abovementioned vase by Thomire et Cie., as it was delivered by them to Carlton House, the London Residence of the Prince Regent (later George IV), in 1812 and was in the Rose Satin Drawing Room at Carlton House in 1813. It remains in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle and is illustrated in the Carlton House Exhibition catalogue,  op. cit., p. 97, fig. 49.

-the third vase, identical to the two aforementioned, was formerly in the collection of Madame Vigier, sold Paris Galliera, 2nd-3rd June 1970, lot 82, acquired from Aveline, then sold at auction in 2003, see ante.

Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843):
He is almost certainly the author of the mounts on the offered candelabra and  was the most outstanding fondeur-doreur of the Louis XVI and Empire period. He worked as a ciseleur under Gouthière in 1774 and collaborated in the decoration of the coronation coach of Louis XVI in 1776 and set up on his own in the following year. He is known to have supplied mounts for furniture by the outstanding ébénistes of the time, Benneman and Weisweiler amongst others. Thomire was a favourite of Napoleon who made him ciseleur de L'Empereur. In 1811, he collaborated with Odiot the goldsmith and made the celebrated cradle for the Bourbons and was awarded the Légion d' Honneur by Louis-Philippe. He retired in 1823 and his firm Thomire et Cie continued until 1850.