17th Century French Bronze Massive Knopped Socket Candlestick Circa 1650
Item History & Price
17thcentury French bronze massive knopped socket candlestick, circa 1650We purchase collections of Continental lighting, metalwork, ceramics, glass & textiles, enabling me to offer a quantity of rareantiques. Please register mystore/page in your favorites, for a fine range of 14th to 19th century periodmetalwork, lighting & other pieces, all guaranteed, as to age, condition& origin; I have far more than I can possibly keep upwith, as to eBay! Text, formatting & ima...ges © 2019 – R. JosefBurdett-Williamson – all rights reserved.Breveté, 2019, par M. R. Josef Burdett-Williamson. ATTENTION – défense de reproduction ! We are very serious, as to IntellectualProperty & Author rights – violations are reported to our attorneys in Paris& Leeds. Please readmy terms of sale carefully!Elly BurdettThis is in France.Pieces in the group photo are for comparison.You are only bidding on the featured candlestick.Free collection by appt. is possible:my collections & some of Elly’s many new arrivals can be viewed. Please note:For those not familiar with my eBay store, you aredealing with 2 different people in England & France. I’m a part-timeantiques dealer, & sometimes exhibit at UK antiques shows.
My associate in France is an expat American historian of European DecorativeArts & museum curator, with 45 years of advanced experience. Sincerely, ET Burdett Dear friends &clients: We have more Fine Arts & Antiques than wecan begin to keep up with, as to eBay – at least 4, 000 period pieces. Groupphotos will give you a slight idea of the depth of mycollections, and Elly's inventory - keep watching this page. R. Josef Elly is the antiques dealer – I haven’t been, for more than 25years – I’m an historian of Decorative Arts (mostly European), and equallyfascinated by both formal & “country” pieces. As anexpatriate American historian, collector, and guest curator, I can safely statethat there are VERY major advantages to actually living in France for 26 years– not only in terms attending antiques shows & museums, and establishing anextensive network of contacts with curators, collectors and dealers, but alsoas to hands-on experience with Continental antiques. I have handled literallythousands of pieces of period lighting and other base-metal objects, andamassed an excellent reference library on early Continental lighting& metalwork.The wealth and depth of range in both formal & rustic Frenchlighting, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, exceeds that ofany other country. No single reference book has yet to even come close tocapturing this vast diversity – the best effort to date is the 480-page, landmark 1933 work on lighting by G. Henriot, ENCYCLOPEDIE DU LUMINAIRE –Formes et Decors Apparentes (rare, & never translated). Between 1600 & 1720, French and otherContinental base-metal candlesticks underwent a complex evolution which hasnever been properly documented – solely in the French context, there arehundreds of variations I have not seen in published reference books – and, thiscomment further extends to formal candlesticks, from about 1720 to 1840.At about 1660, proto-typical formsbegan to emerge, and then rapidly developed to establish the classic, poly-lobed based, Louis 14th style of candlestick, which persistedwell into the 2nd half of the 18th century.And do note – the designated nomenclature of French design, asto period, does not strictly correspond to the reign of the relevant ruler -which confuses most people - including many French dealers. After more than twodecades in France, I’m only a few candlesticks away from being ableto chart the previously unpublished development of specifically French forms, particularly from about 1600 to 1830. However, the Louis 14th and 15thperiods are highly problematic, as tothe enormous explosion of design; and the same comment applies to thesubsequent evolution of the Louis 16th through Charles X period. And, every few weeks, somethingI’ve never seen before pops up.The Lear Collection: A study ofcopper-alloy socket candlestsicks (1995), by Christopher Bangshas a chapter on Bangs referred to as “Candlesticks with Pronounced Knops”, pages 147 to 150, and Plates 328 to 337. Given the superficial nature of The Lear Collection, and virtually allother books based on what I consider to be “trophy” collections, I find it ofvery limited use. I have at least another100 reference books in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, (and of courseEnglish) that address both base-metal objects of domestic life and lighting atlength – and literally all contain errors (the most reliable are in French orGerman).Massive ball or acorn baluster knopscharacterize French candlesticks of the 1620 to 1660 period, and a number areillustrated in The LearCollection – albeit that the selection is verylimited, and does not begin to do justice to the remarkable range of thesehandsome candlesticks in France. No pairs were in the collection – and afew weeks ago, buyers missed out an amazing pair Elly offered that sold to anastute collector in Norway. I have recently acquired quite a few early candlesticks, and Elly will have more from the mid-17th century for sale. Number126 of the Lear Collection, featuredin a full-page plate on Page 332, is identical to this very rare piece, but is larger, and has no ejector hole.This came from a dealer in Western Central France, which doesn’thelp much, as to attribution – except that I’ve handled several slightlylater single candlesticks with the same octagonal socket, and they tend toappear in the Parisian region, or Western Central France. The square foot witha very nominal well for excess wax is more closely aligned with the early tomid-17th century, as is the large and deep socket, the massive acornknop, and the ejector hole. It is not seamed(as with most pre-1710 candlesticks), and no casting pins are visible. Thepeaning under the foot is completely untouched, and with no repairs, but thereare three condition problems. About 40% of the socket rim is missing; the foothas a visible edge crack, and much less noticeably, a hairline fissure at thebottom of the wax well (see photos # 1, 7, 10 & 12). The foot sits nearly flat, and can be fixed by careful manipulation in a padded bench vise, but if you’renot used to this, and in view of the rarity of the candlestick, leave it to anexpert restorer. A much-simpler solution is to keep it on a “Turkey-work”surface – an oriental rug – most of my Louis XIII tables have Anatolian orKazak rugs on the tops. This can be fully restoredwith a micro-laser welder, but this is best accomplished with an XRF analysisfirst – it is the only way to get an exact color match.We are independently listed with theNew England AppraisersAssociation, for France orthe UK.Condition: as-seen & described; otherwise with the normalamount of wear one expects on mid-17th century metalwork. Note:Photos are high resolution – use magnification for viewing details. Please ask, if you wish more.© R. Josef Williamson Certified expert & appraiser, New England Appraisers Association.FoundingTrustee, NewBedford Museum of Glass.Height –5 & 3/4” (14.7 cm.): foot width– 3 & 3/4” (9.5 cm.). Weight– 345 grams, not including packaging.Insuredshipping within France is 9 Euros; to the UK & EU is 16 Euros – to NorthAmerica is 28 Euros.We don't charge for packing & handling, & always offer grouped rate posting, with no time limits.We ship from both France & the UK– please read listings carefully – rates& conditions are substantially different.Important!We usually mail within 3 to 7 working days from clearance of payment: but request that buyers beunderstanding of delays due to illness, severe weather, or computer problems: this is strictly a small business, with no employees! Intolerantbuyers, or those leaving less than 5-star feedback (no longer invisible) willbe black-listed.This is not a "decorator" shop - eBay’s Consumer Goods-generated“Hassle-free returns” policy does not apply to arbitrary whim, orunqualified opinion! Returns are accepted - if: there is a major problem withthe age, condition or origin of a piece as described; andthis is confirmed by a qualified expert with professional credentials. Photographs of any alleged damage are required - theyare mandatory for insurance claims.What you pay for shipping is our actual cost – international shipping is stupidly expensive - we have absolutely no control overrates – I lose 4% to PayPal, and often absorb extracosts, such as double-boxing.International buyers – please inquire, as to mailing costs! FromFrance, rates to the Russian Federation are the same as the US.Note: Our independent certifications with theNew EnglandAppraisers Association (in both France & England) expedite Customsclearances, and prevent EXCESS duties from being incorrectly imposed onantiques conforming to the 100 years legal dateline, thus saving buyers 10% to 43% inrelevant countries.Payments: PayPal, French or UK checks, or bank drafts, & all banktransfers accepted. I am obliged to accept PayPal, but prefer banktransfers, or UK or French checks - PayPal takes a 4% bite out of alltransactions - including shipping costs.My Frenchbusiness associate is an expatriate American historian of Decorative Arts, apublished antiques editor & writer, curator, certified appraiser, &internationally respected authority in early glass, lighting, metalwork, sculpture, period furniture & other categories. He has placed pieces withFrench & US museums, including the Smithsonian, & assists me withacquisitions, research & texts. You can buy from me, with confidence inyour purchases. We are separate and private, academic collectors, looking todefray the costs of advancing with our own collections. R. Josef is the only European Decorative Arts specialist for the New England Appraisers Association residing in the European Union, and isavailable for expertise or arbitration. We are independently listed with the New England Appraisers Association, for France or the UK. ETBurdettDear buyers – apologies for the intrusive copyrightlines, but they are there because R. Josef is an extensively published expertwith ongoing academic & commercial commissions, including forthcomingbooks. Listings often contain original research & information that has notappeared before; several British & Continental eBay sellers have beenreported for plagiarizing formatting & texts. Wefiercely protect our Intellectual Property rights – and in court, whennecessary.
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My associate in France is an expat American historian of European DecorativeArts & museum curator, with 45 years of advanced experience. Sincerely, ET Burdett Dear friends &clients: We have more Fine Arts & Antiques than wecan begin to keep up with, as to eBay – at least 4, 000 period pieces. Groupphotos will give you a slight idea of the depth of mycollections, and Elly's inventory - keep watching this page. R. Josef Elly is the antiques dealer – I haven’t been, for more than 25years – I’m an historian of Decorative Arts (mostly European), and equallyfascinated by both formal & “country” pieces. As anexpatriate American historian, collector, and guest curator, I can safely statethat there are VERY major advantages to actually living in France for 26 years– not only in terms attending antiques shows & museums, and establishing anextensive network of contacts with curators, collectors and dealers, but alsoas to hands-on experience with Continental antiques. I have handled literallythousands of pieces of period lighting and other base-metal objects, andamassed an excellent reference library on early Continental lighting& metalwork.The wealth and depth of range in both formal & rustic Frenchlighting, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, exceeds that ofany other country. No single reference book has yet to even come close tocapturing this vast diversity – the best effort to date is the 480-page, landmark 1933 work on lighting by G. Henriot, ENCYCLOPEDIE DU LUMINAIRE –Formes et Decors Apparentes (rare, & never translated). Between 1600 & 1720, French and otherContinental base-metal candlesticks underwent a complex evolution which hasnever been properly documented – solely in the French context, there arehundreds of variations I have not seen in published reference books – and, thiscomment further extends to formal candlesticks, from about 1720 to 1840.At about 1660, proto-typical formsbegan to emerge, and then rapidly developed to establish the classic, poly-lobed based, Louis 14th style of candlestick, which persistedwell into the 2nd half of the 18th century.And do note – the designated nomenclature of French design, asto period, does not strictly correspond to the reign of the relevant ruler -which confuses most people - including many French dealers. After more than twodecades in France, I’m only a few candlesticks away from being ableto chart the previously unpublished development of specifically French forms, particularly from about 1600 to 1830. However, the Louis 14th and 15thperiods are highly problematic, as tothe enormous explosion of design; and the same comment applies to thesubsequent evolution of the Louis 16th through Charles X period. And, every few weeks, somethingI’ve never seen before pops up.The Lear Collection: A study ofcopper-alloy socket candlestsicks (1995), by Christopher Bangshas a chapter on Bangs referred to as “Candlesticks with Pronounced Knops”, pages 147 to 150, and Plates 328 to 337. Given the superficial nature of The Lear Collection, and virtually allother books based on what I consider to be “trophy” collections, I find it ofvery limited use. I have at least another100 reference books in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, (and of courseEnglish) that address both base-metal objects of domestic life and lighting atlength – and literally all contain errors (the most reliable are in French orGerman).Massive ball or acorn baluster knopscharacterize French candlesticks of the 1620 to 1660 period, and a number areillustrated in The LearCollection – albeit that the selection is verylimited, and does not begin to do justice to the remarkable range of thesehandsome candlesticks in France. No pairs were in the collection – and afew weeks ago, buyers missed out an amazing pair Elly offered that sold to anastute collector in Norway. I have recently acquired quite a few early candlesticks, and Elly will have more from the mid-17th century for sale. Number126 of the Lear Collection, featuredin a full-page plate on Page 332, is identical to this very rare piece, but is larger, and has no ejector hole.This came from a dealer in Western Central France, which doesn’thelp much, as to attribution – except that I’ve handled several slightlylater single candlesticks with the same octagonal socket, and they tend toappear in the Parisian region, or Western Central France. The square foot witha very nominal well for excess wax is more closely aligned with the early tomid-17th century, as is the large and deep socket, the massive acornknop, and the ejector hole. It is not seamed(as with most pre-1710 candlesticks), and no casting pins are visible. Thepeaning under the foot is completely untouched, and with no repairs, but thereare three condition problems. About 40% of the socket rim is missing; the foothas a visible edge crack, and much less noticeably, a hairline fissure at thebottom of the wax well (see photos # 1, 7, 10 & 12). The foot sits nearly flat, and can be fixed by careful manipulation in a padded bench vise, but if you’renot used to this, and in view of the rarity of the candlestick, leave it to anexpert restorer. A much-simpler solution is to keep it on a “Turkey-work”surface – an oriental rug – most of my Louis XIII tables have Anatolian orKazak rugs on the tops. This can be fully restoredwith a micro-laser welder, but this is best accomplished with an XRF analysisfirst – it is the only way to get an exact color match.We are independently listed with theNew England AppraisersAssociation, for France orthe UK.Condition: as-seen & described; otherwise with the normalamount of wear one expects on mid-17th century metalwork. Note:Photos are high resolution – use magnification for viewing details. Please ask, if you wish more.© R. Josef Williamson Certified expert & appraiser, New England Appraisers Association.FoundingTrustee, NewBedford Museum of Glass.Height –5 & 3/4” (14.7 cm.): foot width– 3 & 3/4” (9.5 cm.). Weight– 345 grams, not including packaging.Insuredshipping within France is 9 Euros; to the UK & EU is 16 Euros – to NorthAmerica is 28 Euros.We don't charge for packing & handling, & always offer grouped rate posting, with no time limits.We ship from both France & the UK– please read listings carefully – rates& conditions are substantially different.Important!We usually mail within 3 to 7 working days from clearance of payment: but request that buyers beunderstanding of delays due to illness, severe weather, or computer problems: this is strictly a small business, with no employees! Intolerantbuyers, or those leaving less than 5-star feedback (no longer invisible) willbe black-listed.This is not a "decorator" shop - eBay’s Consumer Goods-generated“Hassle-free returns” policy does not apply to arbitrary whim, orunqualified opinion! Returns are accepted - if: there is a major problem withthe age, condition or origin of a piece as described; andthis is confirmed by a qualified expert with professional credentials. Photographs of any alleged damage are required - theyare mandatory for insurance claims.What you pay for shipping is our actual cost – international shipping is stupidly expensive - we have absolutely no control overrates – I lose 4% to PayPal, and often absorb extracosts, such as double-boxing.International buyers – please inquire, as to mailing costs! FromFrance, rates to the Russian Federation are the same as the US.Note: Our independent certifications with theNew EnglandAppraisers Association (in both France & England) expedite Customsclearances, and prevent EXCESS duties from being incorrectly imposed onantiques conforming to the 100 years legal dateline, thus saving buyers 10% to 43% inrelevant countries.Payments: PayPal, French or UK checks, or bank drafts, & all banktransfers accepted. I am obliged to accept PayPal, but prefer banktransfers, or UK or French checks - PayPal takes a 4% bite out of alltransactions - including shipping costs.My Frenchbusiness associate is an expatriate American historian of Decorative Arts, apublished antiques editor & writer, curator, certified appraiser, &internationally respected authority in early glass, lighting, metalwork, sculpture, period furniture & other categories. He has placed pieces withFrench & US museums, including the Smithsonian, & assists me withacquisitions, research & texts. You can buy from me, with confidence inyour purchases. We are separate and private, academic collectors, looking todefray the costs of advancing with our own collections. R. Josef is the only European Decorative Arts specialist for the New England Appraisers Association residing in the European Union, and isavailable for expertise or arbitration. We are independently listed with the New England Appraisers Association, for France or the UK. ETBurdettDear buyers – apologies for the intrusive copyrightlines, but they are there because R. Josef is an extensively published expertwith ongoing academic & commercial commissions, including forthcomingbooks. Listings often contain original research & information that has notappeared before; several British & Continental eBay sellers have beenreported for plagiarizing formatting & texts. Wefiercely protect our Intellectual Property rights – and in court, whennecessary.
00034
