Rare pair of sconces with two lights, in chased... Lot 35

Rare pair of sconces with two lights, in chased gilded bronze and lacquered or enamelled metal decorated with flowers and foliage. The binnacles and cups are decorated with flowers and foliage on a cream background. Austria, 18th century. H. 38 cm. L : 40 cm. (Some flowers of later period) It is probably during the enlightened reign of Maria Theresa of Austria (1740-1780) that relations with France became less conflictual. Marie-Antoinette, daughter of the Archduchess of Austria, married the Dauphin, the future Louis XVI, in 1770; but even before this union, the two countries had good commercial relations. The Parisian fashion could thus enter Vienna which became one of the most elegant and refined courts in Europe. It is in this context that we attribute to Viennese workshops the realization of this model of sconces. They illustrate a strong inspiration from the creations of certain Parisian merchant-merchants of the second third of the 18th century, who favored mixtures of the rarest materials, often imported from the East, carefully mounted in chased and gilded bronze. Among the similar examples known, let us mention in particular a pair sold at Christie's, New York, on May 24, 2001, lot 42; a second one, with five branches, coming from the collections of the Marquis of Lorne, sold at Christie's, London, on December 9, 1993, lot 52; and finally a last one, from the former collection of the Marquise Maureen de Dufferin et Ava (sale at Christie's, London, March 25, 1999, 402). We should also mention some sconces and a chandelier of the same inspiration kept at the Schönbrunn Palace near Vienna, the summer residence of the Habsburgs. H. 38 cm. L. 40 cm. (Accidents and restorations) Expert : Philippe Commenges