Alexis Loir III Pair Of Silver Table Candlesticks, 1747

Pair of 18th-century silver table candlesticks
Paris 1747 (Letter G) by Alexis III LOIR, who received his master’s certificate in 1733.
They rest on a round base edged with fillets, applied clasps, and a twisted frieze; foliated medallions engraved with a combined coat of arms, also applied. The tops of the twisted legs, shafts, and bowls follow the model. The candle sockets, engraved with the same coat of arms, bear no visible hallmarks.
An extremely rare model, very small in size and very solidly crafted.
Height 13.8 cm
Weight 762 grams
Beautiful hallmarks under each foot and in the spouts.
The works of Alexis LOIR III are now found in the most prestigious collections.
This model of small dressing table candlesticks was featured in the collections of David Weill, Jourdan Barry, the Metropolitan Museum, etc.

The coat of arms belongs to François de Vachon de Briançon, Marquis de Belmont, and Jeanne Françoise de Saint-Quintin de Blet.

François de Vachon de Briançon de Belmont (1721–1793)
Marquis de Belmont, general officer and a prominent figure of the Dauphiné nobility

Born in Grenoble on January 9, 1721, François de Vachon de Briançon de Belmont, Marquis of Belmont, Count of Varces, and Baron of Montmaur, devoted his life to military service. His career, which spanned the monarchy and the Revolution, attests to his extensive experience in command and his recognized standing within the military community of his time.

As commander of the La Marine Regiment, he participated in the campaigns of the Seven Years’ War and was wounded in battle. Promoted to infantry brigadier in 1758, then to field marshal on February 20, 1761, he attained the rank of lieutenant general on March 1, 1780.

On February 2, 1761, he married Jeanne-Françoise de Saint-Quintin de Blet, daughter of Alexandre de Saint-Quintin, Count of Blet and field marshal. The wedding was held at Saint-Sulpice in Paris, with King Louis XV himself as a witness, accompanied by his court.
This royal presence lent the union a special splendor and suggests the high regard in which the couple was held in royal circles.

During the Revolution, François de Vachon de Belmont remained in France and held command posts in Besançon and then in Metz in 1791. Made a Commander of the Order of Saint Louis in March 1792, he died on October 2, 1793. His career path preserves the memory of an experienced officer, whose career and marriage illustrate the influence of a Dauphiné family in the 18th century.

Provenance: Boisgirard Drouot Auction, December 10, 1993
then passed down through the family to a private collection.

A must-have