Pair Of Regency Style Gilt Brass Tealight Holders Attributed To David Hicks

Pair of Regency-style gilt brass hurricane lamps attributed to David Hicks.
Gilt brass, molded glass.
20th century.
h. 20.9 in.

This pair of Regency-style hurricane lamps is derived from a model in the Wrightsman Collection, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of New York: a garden torch from the Louis XIV period, featuring a baluster-shaped base with cut sides. This model appears to have evolved in the early decades of the 18th century, with the pedestal becoming more intricate, gradually adopting the curves of the Regency style.

Sometimes called garden torches, hurricane lamps are a type of candlestick designed to shield candle flames from wind and harsh weather. They were once used to illuminate terraces and gardens, in both summer and winter.

It was thanks to the decorators of the latter half of the 20th century, particularly David Hicks, that this type of hurricane lamp saw a revival, notably produced after antique models found in the collections of Hubert de Givenchy and Jayne Wrightsman.

Sources

Sir Francis John Bagott Watson, The Wrightsman Collection, vol. 1-2, New York, 1966.