PAIR OF "ARGENTERIE" TORCHES Louis XV period,... Lot 14

PAIR OF "ARGENTERIE" TORCHES Louis XV period, circa 1725-1735 Chased and gilded bronze with leaf Traces of wear to the gilding, small lack on a vase H. 26 cm, D. 15 cm Provenance Former Jacques Semail collection Private collection, Paris, since 1989 This pair of torches, which could be mistaken for goldsmith's pieces, were cast in bronze. The finesse of the casting allows us to appreciate the mastery of the chiseller who carefully drew the motifs of shells, stylized flowers and mantling between the friezes of ovals. The eight-sided shaft rests on a circular base enriched by a scalloped plinth with accolades. The structure of our candlesticks as well as the refinement of their decoration evoke certain silver torches reproduced in bronze (fig. 1). Our pair thus preserves the memory of a model of silverware not found to date. Additional information given by the collector is available by QR Code in the PDF. Information sheet of the collector updated with the results of the analysis of the brass according to the Heginbotham protocol