Pair Of Gustavian Candlesticks

Pair of gilt and chiseled bronze quiver-shaped candlesticks.
Gilt and chiseled bronze.
Late 18th century.
Likely Swedish.
H. 28 cm.

This pair of neo-classical gilt and chiseled bronze candlesticks is remarkable for the curve of its quiver-shaped stem and the simplicity of its ornamentation. Both the base and the stem are adorned with simple stylized flutes, while the bell separating the base from the stem and the ring marking the beginning of the quiver are decorated with a frieze of similarly stylized leaves à l’Antique, which is also found on the crowning of the candlesticks. Remarkable too because of their craftsmanship, especially the quality of their chasing, alternating between matte and shiny surfaces along the stem. 

The simplicity of these candlesticks recalls the Swedish neoclassical designs of the Gustavian era, reminiscent of the interiors of Gustav III’s Pavilion at Haga or the Övedskloster Manor in Scania, in southern Sweden. They can be associated with the designs and projects of Count Fredrik Cronstedt, architect to Gustav III, who passed away in 1829.

Sources

Håkan Groth, Neoclassicism in the North. Swedish Furniture and Interiors, 1770-1850, New York, 1990.