Pair Of Egyptian-style Candlesticks, Model From The Emperor's Bedroom At Saint-cloud.

First Empire, circa 1805–1810. An interesting pair of gilt and patinated bronze candlesticks from the First Empire period, belonging to the decorative repertoire of the Egyptian Revival, popular under Napoleon I. This model is identical to the one held in the collections of the Mobilier National (inv. GML 4927/1 and 2) and described by Marie-France Dupuy-Baylet. The 1807 inventory of the Pavillon du Butard at La Celle-Saint-Cloud mentions, in Emperor Napoleon I's bedroom: > "two candlesticks with antique green bases and stems, three Egyptian heads, and gilt candle holders." Each candlestick features a circular base on a plinth, adorned with a frieze of palmettes alternating with corbels. This base supports a platform holding three pairs of bare feet, extending into a conical shaft of patinated bronze in an antique green hue, crowned with three Egyptian heads wearing nemes headdresses. The candlesticks are finished with a ring that holds a flared gilt bronze drip pan, decorated with palmettes and corbels echoing the design of the base. The construction is typical of the great bronze casters of the First Empire, and particularly of Claude Galle (attributed), who delivered several pairs of this model to Fontainebleau as early as 1804. A comparable model was sold at Artcurial (December 15, 2010) and Christie's London (2005). Construction: Each candlestick is composed of nine assembled elements, in accordance with early 19th-century assembly techniques. Condition: Complete candlesticks, all original parts present. Original gilding, old and very well preserved. Very good overall condition. A slight deformation at the base of one of the candlesticks (discreet, stable, with no aesthetic impact). One thread replaced on one candlestick, clean and functional restoration. Homogeneous patina, clear and legible chasing. Dimensions: Height: 22 cm. Base diameter: 9.8 cm. References and comparisons: Mobilier National, Paris, inv. GML 4927/1 and 2. Published in: Dupuy-Baylet, Les Bronzes du Mobilier National 1800–1870, 2010, entry 76. Napoleon and the Decorative Arts, Macao Museum of Art, 2013. Artcurial auction, Paris, December 15, 2010, lot 60 (comparable model attributed to Claude Galle). Christie's London, January 25, 2005, lot 304.