Barcelona, 1790–1820, Solid Silver, Pair Of Empire-style Candlesticks, Narciso Rosell

Pair of Empire-style solid silver candlesticks — Barcelona, first third of the 19th century

Pair of solid silver candlesticks featuring a slender shaft with smooth sides, resting on a circular, stepped base. The base of the shaft is adorned with a band of elongated, ribbed motifs, their ends pointing downward, reminiscent of lanceolate leaves or an inverted wreath of feathers. Finely chased against a matte background, this decoration contrasts with the polished surfaces of the silver. Molded rings and thin borders with oblique striations highlight the joints of the design and the rim of the base. The bowls are topped with circular, overhanging rims.

The simplicity of the lines, the slender proportions, and the arrangement of the decoration place this pair firmly within the Empire style.

The feet bear the three hallmarks of the Barcelona assay office: the letters BAR surmounted by a Maltese cross, the mark of the city of Barcelona; the N hallmark surmounting ROSELL, corresponding to the assayer responsible for verifying the silver’s fineness; and a partially legible maker’s mark, beginning with F. SAL…. The latter may refer to a member of the Sala family, represented in Barcelona goldsmithing notably by Pablo Sala, who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This connection remains a hypothesis.

Height: approximately 23cm.
Base diameter: approximately 13cm.
Total weight of the pair: approximately 550 g.