A FRENCH GILT-BRONZE CANDELABRUM 'AUX SPHINGES', FRANCE, LATE 19th CENTURY

This substantial gilt-bronze candelabrum is a high-quality 19th-century recreation of a legendary royal design from the late 1600s. The original model was created by André-Charles Boulle, the master furniture maker to King Louis XIV, based on patterns by the royal decorator Jean Bérain.

The piece features a distinct three-sided design loaded with classical details:

• The Base: The triangular stand rests on small peg feet and is guarded by three winged sphinxes wearing Egyptian pharaonic headdresses.

• The Stem: The central pillar features oval frames showcasing the detailed side profiles of Roman emperors wearing laurel wreath leaf crowns.

• The Arms: Four heavily curved, leaf-decorated branches sweep outward, each ending in the highly detailed face of a ram directly beneath the candle nozzles. A fifth matching nozzle sits at the very top center.

This piece was cast from thick, solid bronze, while the sharp details in the metalwork display the work of a premier 19th-century Parisian workshop.

Ht. 22.5 inches