Ravrio Pair Of Empire-style Candlesticks, Early 19th Century, Gilded Bronze

Attributed to André-Antoine Ravrio (1759–1814)
Pair of flamed candlesticks with vases
Chiseled cast bronze with a brown and gilded patina
Paris, circa 1810
Empire period
9 cast bronze elements
H. 25 cm

Our pair of candelabra rests on a circular base decorated with a bowl surmounted by three lion’s claws; the shaft is faceted, and the upper section is decorated with a vase motif. The entire piece is gilded with fine gold, and the bronze shaft’s brown patina lends the ensemble a striking modernity.

This type of candelabrum enjoyed immense success during the Empire, with numerous commissions for the furnishings of imperial residences. Bronze casters, such as Ravrio and Galle, put their imagination at the service of the ruling power by producing a wide variety of models and creating numerous variations. For example, we can compare our pair to a very similar model delivered to the Château de Compiègne in 1811 (Inv. GML 4960/002)

André-Antoine Ravrio (1759–1814)
Having been certified as a master founder in 1777, Antoine-André Ravrio was among the most important Parisian bronze casters of the late 18th century and the First Empire. As the official supplier to the Imperial Furniture Depot, Ravrio collaborated, alongside Pierre-Philippe Thomire and Claude Galle, in the redesign of the main residences of Emperor Napoleon and Empress Joséphine, as well as in the supply of numerous decorative bronze pieces for the era’s leading figures, notably certain Marshals of the Empire. Today, some of his works are part of the collections of the Mobilier National in Paris, as well as major international public and private collections.

Bibliography
A similar model is reproduced in Dupuy-Baylet (Marie-France), *De bronze et de cristal*, 2020, p. 398, no. 230

Condition Report
The set has been fully restored by our master bronze artist.