These are truly a spectacular Pair of Late 19th Century Second Empire French Candelabra. They are of such quality and precision to suggest one of the best Paris Makers (The Beurdeley family possibly). Raised on Ormolu Bases with Cobalt Blue Glass (Blue the Royal French Colour) are twin arms with Crystal surround drops and Cobalt Blue glass trays all topped with the emblem of Louis XIV - The Sun King in Ormolu and crystal drops acting as beams of light. These come with aristocratic provenance.
Height 20" (51cm) Width 13.5 (34cm) Price on Application
Louis XIV
When Louis XIV took the throne of France in 1643, he was only four years old. He would rule for seventy-two years, one of the longest reigns of any monarch in European history. For fifty-four years of his rule he personally controlled French government under an absolutist rule, during which time the seventeenth century became known as the “Age of Louis XIV.” This notion of divine right to rule led Louis to create himself in the image of a deity with indisputable power. He chose the sun as his sigil, after the Greek god Apollo, god of peace and art, giver of life, regulating everything with the rise and set of the sun - Hence The Sun God King.
Perhaps Louis XIV’s most influential achievement during his reign was his creation of his court at Versailles. The palace itself was officially under construction from 1664 to 1710, but the Sun King never saw the Chateau as complete, and was continually adding on and rebuilding different parts of the palace and grounds until his death. His motivation to create this royal residence lay partly in his inherent dislike of Paris and the city center after he and his mother were held under arrest in the palace there during an uprising. Most of his reasoning, however, lay in his unquenchable desire for glory and praise. Versailles was the grandest, most magnificent, most elaborate royal residence in Europe upon its formal completion. Its creation forever immortalized him in history as its builder and planner.