A pair of American Silver Thirteen-light "Elephant" Candelabra, Gorham Mfg. Co., Providence, RI, 1881

shaped rectangular bases with palmette borders, the figures with matching trappings below flattened baluster stems, forked branches supporting a first tier of lotus-flower sconces with ribbed cone drops, a second tier of four pinecone-chased sconces below central onion-domed sconces

Paris Exhibition of 1889 (this model)

Katharine Morrison McClinton, Collecting American 19th Century Silver, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968, p. 94.

Charles L. Venable, Silver in America, 1840-1940: A Century of Splendor, Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1994, p. 342.

good condition, detail crisp, elaborate and fun composition
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.

When Queen Victoria was declared Empress of India in 1876, formalized in 1877 by the Delhi Durbar, it inspired a series of Indian-themed decorative arts in the West.  Tiffany introduced its "Indian Chrysanthemum" pattern (today just Chrysanthemum) in 1880, and Gorham proposed its "Delhi" pattern.  The following year Gorham designed these massive candelabra of Indian elephants supporting shafts decorated with paisley motifs.  The same richly caparisoned elephants were used for a fruit stand formerly in the Sam Wagstaff and Masco collections (illustrated Venable fig. 6.35, p. 165).

The 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in Kensington continued to keep the public interested in the style, and Venable observes, "the 1889 Paris World's Fair appears to have been the apex of the style's popularity, for both Tiffany's and Gorham exhibited large numbers of objects described as 'Saracenic' or 'East Indian' " (p. 165).  The candelabra were featured in Gorham's French-language booklet of their 1889 display, underlining the fact they felt these were among the finest productions they had to show the international market.