Pair of gilt walnut torch holders Regency period... Lot 31

Pair of gilt walnut torch holders Regency period - France, early 18th century H. 112 cm, W. 28 cm, D. 28 cm Provenance Former Odelin collection This elegant pair of molded, carved and gilded wooden torch holders is composed of a baluster-shaped shaft with fluting, large shells and rings. They are topped by a hexagonal tray decorated with foliage. The tripod base is composed of brackets bordered with plants and canals. During the Regency period, the use of torchieres became increasingly rare compared to the previous reign. However, ornamentalists such as François de Cuvillès (1695-1738) continued to promote this type of furniture between 1720 and the 1730's, as can be seen in the engraving made by him presenting a torchier with a formal repertoire that is very close to our own, particularly in terms of the base (fig. 1). These forms, so characteristic of the decorative arts under the Regency, can be found in a torchere now preserved at the Ecole des Beaux-arts in Paris (fig. 2).