Cherub Gilt Candelabra
Cherub gilt candelabra bring figurative French lighting and clock garnitures into a room, offering bronze putti cast in traditional nineteenth-century revival styles.
Cherub Gilt Candelabra
Cherub gilt candelabra combine cast bronze figures of winged putti with branched candleholders, often appearing as pairs flanking mantel clocks in larger garniture sets. These ornamental pieces emerge predominantly from nineteenth-century French workshops working within Louis XVI, Empire, and Rococo revival idioms.
How they were made
Many candelabra incorporate carved white, red, or porphyry marble bases that anchor the heavier metal work and add structural contrast to the gilt surfaces. Skilled chiselling finished the cast metal components by hand after removal from the moulds.
Listings span multiple decades of the nineteenth century, featuring materials such as ormolu, white marble, patinated bronze, and porphyry.
What varies in quality
The crispness of the chasing and the depth of the metal chiselling separate standard production pieces from finer studio work. Sharp definition in the feathers of the putti wings and the foliage of the candle arms indicates superior hand-finishing.
The selection and density of the supporting materials also determine grade, with dense natural marble bases and heavier gauge gilt bronze demonstrating greater substance than lighter alloy alternatives.
Francois Redmond·Claude Clodion·H Luppens Paris
The Cherub Gilt Candelabra Glossary
- Ormolu
- Gilded bronze produced through a mercury amalgamation process common in French decorative arts. This technique yields a warm, lasting golden finish on metal surfaces.
- Garniture
- A set of matching decorative objects, typically a mantel clock accompanied by a pair of matching candelabra or vases. These sets formed symmetrical centrepieces for nineteenth-century mantelpieces.
- Putti
- Depictions of chubby, winged infant figures used extensively in classical and revival sculpture. They serve as the primary figural support in these candelabra designs.
- Patinated bronze
- Bronze treated with chemical solutions to produce a darkened surface tone. This darker bronze often provides visual contrast against bright gilt ormolu details.
Cherub Gilt Candelabra: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a clock garniture?
A clock garniture is a matched decorative set consisting of a central mantel clock accompanied by two side pieces, such as candelabra or urns.
These coordinated sets were designed to create a unified and symmetrical display across a fireplace mantel or sideboard.
What styles are these candelabra?
The pieces draw primarily on French aesthetic movements including Louis XVI style, Empire revival, and Rococo revival idioms.
These nineteenth-century interpretations revive eighteenth-century classical motifs with symmetrical scrolls, acanthus leaves, and figural putti.
Are these pieces wired for electricity?
Many candelabra retain their original configuration for holding wax candles, while others have been converted into table lamps over time.
Listings specify whether a piece functions as a traditional candle holder or houses electrical fittings.