Pair of Japanese Patinated Bronze Candelabras, Meiji Period, ca. 1900

Bronze, dark-brown patina, unmarked. Measures: Height: 23” Width: 14” The notion of an “American Rococo” seems a contradiction in terms. The very word rococo is as French as Camembert. It connotes a style that reigned along with Louis XV in the aristocratic decadence of the 18th Century. It was garlanded, nonchalant, associated with erotic marshmallow nudes by Francois Boucher and foppish courtiers costumed as shepherds pretending they understood Jean-Jacques Rousseau when all they really wanted was romantic dalliance in the formal gardens of Versailles. In the history of painting it produced but one great artist, Antoine Watteau. By contrast, Americans of the period are remembered as the flinty inheritors of New England Puritans, full of rectitude and having not a moment for furbelow or frippery. Such few painters as were around included hard-nosed realists like John Singleton Copley and Charles Willson Peale. Well, as it turns out, life once again acts according to the principle of paradox. There was an American rococo. It came to us indirectly via England disguised under the name Chippendale. Now for the first time the style receives comprehensive survey in the exhibition “American Rococo, 1750-1775: Elegance in Ornament.” Jointly organized by New York’s Metropolitan Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, it opens here Sundaywith a spread of some 170 works of decorative art and a conscientious catalogue with essays by Met and LACMA curators Morrison H. Heckscher and Leslie Greene Bowman. There are at least two ways of looking at the decorative arts. Connoisseurs appreciate their design and craftsmanship. Those of sociological bent examine objects of material culture for their revelations of history and the temper of the times. Actually neither view is complete without the other. Stylistically the rococo reveals a longing for intimacy in its small scale and an urge to organic nature in its love of stylized vines, tendrils, tiny flowers and seashells. If it were a new manner being promoted by Madison Avenue today it would probably be called “Baroque Lite.” There is an ease about the style that makes it airy, but it has an underlying formality that bespeaks lives of gentrified cultivation rather than beer-bellied sloth. It’s fascinating to examine the flintlock firearms on view and find these weapons of death shaped and decorated with the most exquisite care by wood carvers and metal engravers. All of this is completely consistent with the main currents of 18th-Century European thought. In France, Rousseau sang the virtues of nature and the noble savage like a present-day ecologist. In England, John Locke...

MARKINGS Each candle holder is fully marked on the bottom, including date XX (ca. 1920) and model number (2304). ROOCKWOOD POTTERY Roockwood is the synonym of the American Art Pottery. Founded on Thanksgiving Day in 1880 by Maria Longworth Storer, Rookwood made history – the first large manufacturing enterprise founded and owned by a woman in the United States and launching the art pottery movement in America. Within a decade, Rookwood pottery gained international acclaim, rivaling European and Asian firms that had been in existence for hundreds or thousands of years. Maria Longworth Nicholas, was the daughter of a wealthy art collector, she was inspired by Japanese pottery. When she discussed her desire to create fine pottery with her father, he provided the means and environment that allowed her to pursue her creative passions. And although it may have started as a hobby, the talented Maria quickly managed to establish Rookwood pottery as a quality producer of fine ceramic art potter. She setup the Rookwood company, hired artists like Japanese artist Kataro Shirayamadani who came to work for the company in 1887, and talented art students and encouraged them to use their creativity to experiment and create unique pottery pieces. Almost every piece designed by these artists sold for hundreds of dollars, and today they are regarded as highly collectible. A Rookwood piece by Japanese artist Kataro Shirayamadani sold for $198,000 in 1991. He was a Rookwood artist from 1887 until 1948. The Rookwood airbrush, called the mouth atomizer, was developed by Rookwood to apply glazes in an innovative way. The technique helped the company develop its own individual look. The atomizer helped add the beautiful layers of color Rookwood is known for, and the technique is still used at the Rookwood pottery today. More well-known pottery manufacturers and recognized artists doubted this female led company would have what it takes to succeed, but much to their surprise Rookwood turned out to be one of the best. By combining extraordinary attention to detail and innovative design Maria Longworth Nicholas made Rookwood the standard for ceramic pottery manufacturers to aim for. Today antique and vintage Rookwood Pottery...

This pair of candelabra made in France, circa 1880 are designed in the Renaissance Revival style. Well cast in a large number of separate parts and patinated and polished to create drama and decorative detail the pair is of a nice scale without being overly large. Cast as a central column raised on a pyramidal pierced base. The base is centered by grotesque masks and foliate sprays raised up on feet. The shaft leads up to four large branched arms also cast with corresponding foliate sprays issuing from more grotesques. The combination of color and casting create a lively play of light. Condition Disclosure: While we do our best to carefully inspect and give a full report on the condition of any item we sell, pointing out any repairs or alterations that may have been done to the best of our knowledge, as is the case with any antique and vintage item, there is a possibility that at some point in the life of the piece that there may have been damaged which has been professionally repaired and as such a repair undetectable, it is therefore impossible for us to disclose... we recommend that you also read and agree to the 1st dibs user agreement...

Pair of Antique French Rococo Bronze Candelabras with Marble Bases C1890. 15 1/4" x 14 1/2" x 6 1/2". A stunning pair of antique French Rococo candelabras...