Pair of chased ormolu torches, forming a fluted quiver, embe - Lot 137

Pair of chased ormolu torches, forming a fluted quiver, embellished with frieze, twisted rings and a seed. They are supported by a tripod base adorned with scrapers and sunflowers, joined by a molded circular base enriched with a rose and laurel frieze. Paris. Louis XVI period. Circa 1770. Model by Etienne Martincourt. H_19,5 cm Provenance: Galerie Pellat de Villedon The design of these torches is very close to the projects of ornamentalist Jean-François Forty. Among these, two drawings preserved in the cabinet des dessins of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, take up the idea of a base structured around three consoles, the same scheme is also used on the support of a ciborium. Bibliography: P. Gélis-Didot, L'œuvre de J.-Fr. Forty, dessinateur et graveur. Comparative work: A pair close to our candlesticks was auctioned at Sotheby's. Les Dillée: March 18, 2015. Paris. Lot 120". Another pair featuring a quiver and similar base is published in "Les bronzes Français du XVIIIème siècle. Pierre Verlet. Edition Picard 1987, page 386. Etienne Martincourt was one of the most important Parisian foundrymen of the second half of the 18th century. He first became a master foundryman in July 1762, and the following year became a master sculptor and painter at the Académie de Saint-Luc. He quickly acquired a high profile, since in 1766, during a private exhibition organized in the workshops of the famous royal watchmaker Jean-André Lepaute, two clocks were mentioned whose models were linked to Martincourt. For almost two decades, the craftsman built up one of the capital's most prestigious clientele, working for the Duchesse de Mazarin and collaborating with Jean-Henri Riesener, Queen Marie-Antoinette's cabinetmaker, with whom he created some of the greatest masterpieces of 18th-century French cabinetmaking, including the 1787 jewel-bracelet for the Countess de Provence at the Château de Versailles, now in the English Royal Collection. Expert: Stéphane PEPE Expert: Stéphane PEPE