Object Description
These two large and exquisite gilt bronze sconces were crafted in the early 20th Century in France in a grand, Neoclassical style.
The lights feature long stems which take the form of ribbons, knotted in their middle and tied at their tops in large crinkled bows. Classical female masks are mounted onto the point where these ribbons meet the bodies of the sconces.
These bodies are shaped like lyres — the stringed musical instrument, associated with ancient Greece. The arms are curved, and three strings span the space from the top crossbar to a floral medallion, on the U-shaped base.
Each sconce has four lights, which are cast as organic, twisting laurel branches. These grow from pairs of crossed branches, positioned beneath the lyres, and terminate in leafy capitals, which hold white candle tubes.
Long pieces of ribbon hang down from the crossed laurel branches. These are tied halfway down their length, and again at their bases.
These sconces have been masterfully cast so that the bronze effortlessly imitates soft ribbon, leafy branches, as well as the wooden frame and fine strings of the lyre. The two are technically, as well as stylistically, superb, and will make wonderful additions to a well-appointed interior.