Object Description
A Rare and Monumental Set of Four Highly Important Bronze Torcheres Possibly by Gagneau Frères
Originally made for gas the torcheres have now been wired for electricity.
These exceptional torcheres are demonstrative of the highest quality work produced in Paris during the second half of the nineteenth century. The form of the scrolled arms corresponds closely to a lamp shown at the 1851 Exhibition in London by the Paris firm of ‘Gagneau Frères’.
The evident quality and exceptional size of these torcheres would suggest a distinguished provenance. It is reputed that they came from the Rothschild collection and were formerly in Château de Ferrières. This is further supported by the fact that they bear a very close similarity to the set of four lamps which can be seen in a watercolour by Eugene Lami of the stairway at the Château.
The Château de Ferrières was built in the nineteenth century for James de Rothschild by the English architect Joseph Paxton. This magnificent residence was a testament to the wealth and power of the Rothschild family.
Paris, Circa 1870.