Baccarat Signed - Pair Of Gilt Bronze And Crystal Wall Lights - Second Half Of The 19th Century

Lovely pair of Napoleon III period wall sconces, with two light arms, in gilt bronze and cut crystal, signed by the prestigious Baccarat house. The frame, in finely chiseled and gilded bronze, deploys two elegantly arched light arms, emerging from a richly worked wall plate in the ornamental taste of the Second Empire. The balance of the composition, combining architectural sobriety and decorative refinement, testifies to the luxurious taste characteristic of the reign of Napoleon III, marked by refined eclecticism and a search for sumptuousness. Each arm supports a cut crystal bobèche, signed Baccarat, whose brilliance and purity of work underline the excellence of the manufacture, recognized worldwide for the quality of its creations since the 18th century. The play of light reflecting on the precise cuts of the crystal enhances the richness of the gilded bronze, giving these sconces a spectacular brilliance and a decorative presence of great elegance. Through their balance, the finesse of their execution and the nobility of their materials, these sconces perfectly embody French decorative art under the Second Empire, a sumptuous period when Baccarat supplied both the great European courts and the most prestigious interiors.