What is a french cassolette urn?

A french cassolette urn is a decorative vessel featuring a double-sided lid that flips to reveal a candle nozzle. This clever engineering allowed the same object to serve as a static ornament or a light source. Most surviving examples date from the nineteenth century and reflect classical design revivals. They are typically found in pairs designed to flank a central mirror or clock.

How do you use them as candle holders?

To convert the urn, you lift the lid from its collar and turn it upside down. The reverse side holds a candle socket designed to catch dripping wax. In period settings, owners would alter the function of the mantelpiece depending on the time of day or the occasion. Today, most collectors prefer to display them in their closed urn configuration.

What materials were used?

These vessels combine turned natural stone with cast and gilded metals. White marble, onyx, and veined green marble form the primary bodies, paired with mounts of ormolu, gilt bronze, or brass. Some variants incorporate coloured champlevé enamel or majolica porcelain panels into the design. The contrast between polished stone and bright metal creates a rich visual texture.

How do I date these pieces?

Dating relies on stylistic cues, manufacturing techniques, and the character of the bronze casting and marble turning. Nineteenth-century pieces frequently draw on Louis XVI and French Empire motifs. Examination of the interior construction, screw threads, and the wear patterns on the metal helps distinguish period pieces from later reproductions. The presence of specific stones like campan vert also points to particular nineteenth-century manufacturing preferences.

Search 0

40,874 PAGES BROWSED TODAY PAGES TODAY • 52 ANTIQUES UPLOADED TODAYNEW ARRIVALS

Sorted by

Per page

VISITOR LOGIN JOIN AS A SELLER DEALER LOGIN

0

Saved

GIFTS

French Cassolette Urns

52 ITEMS ADDED TODAY

Visitor Login (saved items)

Sort Order

Items Per Page

French Cassolette Urns

17 items · page 2 of 2

← Page 2 of 2 →

French cassolette urns are reversible decorative vessels that turn from lidded urns into candle holders, bringing classical elegance to a mantelpiece.

Pair French Marble Urns Cassolettes Decorative Empire Amphora Vase

19th century

Save

Pair French Marble Urns Cassolettes Decorative Empire Amphora Vase

From Canonbury Antiques

£2,250

FOR SALE

miscellaneous

← 1 2 →

65,805

Antiques For Sale

52

Antiques Approved Today

1,216

Antique Uploads This Month

446,339

Total Antiques Sold

French Cassolette Urns

Pair French Marble Urns Cassolettes Decorative Empire Amphora Vase

Add keywords to the filter

Price

Era

Period

Style

Material

Origin

Stock Location

Recently Added

Online Payments

Categories