A Rare Set Of Sixteen Hellenistic Gold Wall Sconces From The Former Louis-gabriel Bellon Collection
Rare set of sixteen Hellenistic gold wall sconcesFormer collection of Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819–1899)
Rare set of 16 wall sconces made ofstamped gold leaf, dating from the Hellenistic period (4th–3rd centuries BCE),from the prestigious collection of Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819–1899),one of the most important French collectors of antiquities in the 19th century.
Crafted from thingold leaf embossed on a die, these appliqués depict eight-pointed starswhose rays are each outlined with an elegant beaded border. The reverseperfectly preserves the imprint of the embossing process.
Their diameter ranges from 1.5 to1.7 cm, with a weight between 0.28 and 0.36 g, for atotal weight of 4.91 g.
Based on their manufacturing techniqueand dimensions, these pieces belong to the category ofgold textile appliqués intended to be sewn onto a prestigious garment, aheaddress, or a funeral veil.
Very similar examples are preserved inseveral major public collections, notably at the Metropolitan Museum inNew York (95.15.323) and the Louvre (BJ 2244).
The set is remarkable bothfor its uniformity and its state of preservation. It is highly likelythat these stars came from a single ancient ornament.
Louis-Gabriel Bellon,an archaeologist, collector, and scholar, assembled in the 1870s acollection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities renowned as one of themost important private collections in France at the time. Following the salesin 2009 and 2021, numerous works from this collection were added tothe Louvre’s collections.
Rare set of 16 wall sconces made ofstamped gold leaf, dating from the Hellenistic period (4th–3rd centuries BCE),from the prestigious collection of Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819–1899),one of the most important French collectors of antiquities in the 19th century.
Crafted from thingold leaf embossed on a die, these appliqués depict eight-pointed starswhose rays are each outlined with an elegant beaded border. The reverseperfectly preserves the imprint of the embossing process.
Their diameter ranges from 1.5 to1.7 cm, with a weight between 0.28 and 0.36 g, for atotal weight of 4.91 g.
Based on their manufacturing techniqueand dimensions, these pieces belong to the category ofgold textile appliqués intended to be sewn onto a prestigious garment, aheaddress, or a funeral veil.
Very similar examples are preserved inseveral major public collections, notably at the Metropolitan Museum inNew York (95.15.323) and the Louvre (BJ 2244).
The set is remarkable bothfor its uniformity and its state of preservation. It is highly likelythat these stars came from a single ancient ornament.
Louis-Gabriel Bellon,an archaeologist, collector, and scholar, assembled in the 1870s acollection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities renowned as one of themost important private collections in France at the time. Following the salesin 2009 and 2021, numerous works from this collection were added tothe Louvre’s collections.
3 500 €
Period: Before 16th century
Style: Rome and Antic Greece
Condition: Excellent condition
Material: Gold
Diameter: 1.7
Reference (ID): 1794908
Availability: In stock
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