Thursday, September 23, 2010

Her Majesty’s Furniture: A Set of Malachite Candelabra

The famed Parisian design firm of Thomire & Cie created these magnificent candelabra of gilt bronze and blazingly green malachite in 1828. The candelabra presently have eight arms, but originally had sixteen. Why or when they were altered is something of a mystery. The candelabra are part of a garniture set which flank a matching clock.

As the story goes, the set was purchased for £500 by King George IV’s Confectioner, Francois Benois. Later, a gift of the set was made to the sovereign. Today, the set is one of the treasure of The Royal Collection.

1 comment:

Furniture Advisor said...

Very exquisite, wonder what happened to the remaining eight arms.Should appreciate the craftsmanship of this candelabra.