Doe and Hope

Description

The regency period carved stone and gesso torchère or candelabra with plinth top over stylised foliate decoration, on a hexagon shaped stone base terminating in tripod hairy paw feet, stands at four feet tall.

For restoration, the piece suffers from losses to the gesso and stone in several places and has been repainted at some point in its lifetime. The base and the column can be separated. She is by no means past the point of no return and still provides nice decorative merit as is but she would probably benefit from some care and attention to fully realise her potential.

There is a very similar pair pictured in Frances Collard’s Regency Furniture though these are of bronzed and painted wood after the design in Household Furniture, pl. 22. This example is fairly unusual in that it is made partly in stone.

When it was first introduced in France towards the end of the 17th century the torchiere mounted one candle only, and when the number was doubled or tripled the improvement was regarded almost as a revolution in the illumination of large rooms.

A quality piece waiting to reemerge from the throes of the Prince Regent.