Pair Of Napoleon III Period Sconces In Gilt Bronze And Crystal Pendants.

An important pair of Napoleon III-period gilt bronze wall sconces with rich rocaille decoration inspired by the Louis XV style.

Each sconce features four arms of light resting on a large moving stem decorated with scrolls, foliage and long stylized foliage. The large, asymmetrically cut wall plates are richly decorated with rocaille and shell motifs in the Louis XV taste, particularly popular during the Second Empire.

The widely extended light arms support an abundance of cut crystal pendants and tassels.

The ensemble is composed of different crystal models: large faceted octagonal brilliants, tassel chains, prismatic pendants with cut sides and long cut pendants with interior decoration. This rich ornamentation produces a beautiful play of light and gives the ensemble a particularly spectacular decorative presence.

The gilded bronze is beautifully modeled and full of movement, as seen in the scrolls on the gallows, the stretched foliage and the bobèches cut into the shape of stylized leaves.

The sconces have been carefully cleaned of gilded bronze. The tassels have also been cleaned and completely refixed. The ensemble is now complete and perfectly harmonious. Some of the tassels are old, while a few elements were replaced during an earlier restoration, but the whole remains visually very coherent. The two sconces have exactly the same composition and the same number of pendants.

Two small bronze decorative elements formerly attached to the upper parts of the arms have also disappeared, the former attachment points remaining discreetly visible.

Electrified at one time, they are no longer so. They are shown on the photographs with decorative candles. Very good overall condition.

Dimensions excluding candles:
Height: 50 cm
Width: 32 cm
Depth: 44 cm