Pair of chased and gilt bronze sconces with three swirling arms of light formed with foliage and flowers. Louis XV period, circa 1750
H. 30 cm
This beautiful pair of sconces illustrates the Rocaille style popularized by the ornamentation specialists Juste-Aurèle Meissonier and Nicolas Pineau. The arms of light as well as the shaft, both scrolled and underlined with acanthus leaves, recall the work of Jacques Caffieri and Jean-Claude Duplessis. The division of tasks between the "ciseleurs fondurs" and the "ciseleurs doreurs" regulated by the old regime of the Corporations until the Le Chapelier law of 1791 unfortunately makes it difficult to attribute this production with certainty. Like Boulle and Cressent, Caffieri benefited from the privilege of casting and chasing his works, some of which bear his signature. The design of the sconces was not always taken directly from the work of an ornamentalist, as the sculptors of the plaster or wood model - including the famous Girardon, Puget and Soldtz - could at this stage before the casting bring variations to the initial design.
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