Planetary Ring 1830

The clock-making company Raingo Frères built some of the most remarkable timepieces of the 19th century. Best known for its ornate mantel clocks, the company also masterfully crafted other works, such as candelabras and sculptures. Modeled on Renaissance, Byzantine and Empire styles, the company’s gilded garniture is some of the most recognizable artistic work of the 19th century. It displays the elaborate majesty prevalent in aristocratic and royal homes of the period. 

Belgian watchmaker and metalworker Zacharie Raingo was the son of a watchmaker, and he took up the trade in his youth. He lived and worked in Belgium until 1813, when he relocated to Paris. During his time in Belgium, Raingo was inspired by Antide Janvier and developed his own planetary pendulum. In 1810, he patented an astronomical clock, a rotating spherical mechanism designed to emulate the behavior of celestial bodies.

In 1823, he founded Raingo Frères with his four sons, Adolphe, Charles, Denis and Dorsant. Established as both an industrial and commercial venture, the company quickly gained notoriety for its bronze work in addition to its fame as a clockmaker. It created works for an array of nobility and royalty, like the Duke of Chartres, King George V of England and Emperor Napoleon III of France, whose collection is now at the Louvre museum in Paris.

The company exhibited its works in the 1867, 1878 and 1889 World’s Fairs in Paris, winning numerous prizes, including a gold medal in 1889. Many museums and private collections boast works by Raingo Frères, including the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris and the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels.

On 1stDibs, find incredible wall clocks, mantel clocks, vases and more by Raingo Frères.

Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

For centuries, candles have been used in religious ceremonies such as Hanukkah, provided light to work or read by and more. During meals, the soft glimmer of candles adds warmth to a dinner table that no lighting solution could possibly imitate. With the right antique or vintage candleholder, candles can elevate a table setting or just help support your efforts to create a romantic atmosphere in any room.

When you combine the distinctive glow of a candle with a candleholder that matches the color scheme and decor you’ve painstakingly put together, the result can feel like magic. Finding the candleholder that best meets your needs can be daunting because you’re essentially bringing a piece into your home that is as important as the candle itself. Unsurprisingly, venturesome designers over the years have crafted innumerable alternatives to the traditional form of candleholders, and today a broad array of these decorative objects can be found on 1stDibs, whether they’re 19th-century candleholders made of silver or sleek mid-century modern glass candleholders for an understated accent to your dining area.

Try a tabletop orb candleholder from Lynne Meade Ceramics for a distinctive interpretation of this long-loved furnishing. An alluring pair of Georg Jensen stainless-steel candleholders, featuring pronounced organic curves, or Art Nouveau–informed natural-world motifs, on the other hand, can bring a dose of sculptural elegance to your living room.

If you’re more inclined to opt for antique or vintage pieces, find a collection that includes everything from simple wood taper candleholders to elaborate candelabras of gilt bronze or cut glass on 1stDibs now.