Candelabra
Francis Butty and Louis Herne
Category
Silver
Date
1757 - 1758
Materials
Silver-gilt, sterling
Measurements
41.7 x 37.0 x 18.0 cm
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
NT 516438
Summary
A pair of openwork candelabra, silver-gilt (sterling), mark of Louis Herne & Francis Butty, London, 1757/8. Each rococo candlestick and its two-light branches are made of a multitude of small cast elements soldered together to form an extraordinarily open and dynamic structure of scrolls, rocaille work, stylised leaves and flowers. The domed, shaped square base supports a square vase-shaped stem with campana-shaped sconce with scrolled border. The branches sit on a cylindrical socle of seamed silver. Foliage spirals upwards from the socle to form a knop which supports a carnation-like finial. From either side of the finial spring scrolling foliage arms, which entwine to support openwork campanula-shaped sconces on openwork foliate drip pans. The nozzles have a shaped circular border of shells and rocaille work; round the inner rim is a border of beads; beneath is a seamed cylindrical socle. The top of each candlestick is cut with notches. These notches serve two functions; they identify which branch goes with which candlestick, as well as ensuring that the decoration on the branch and its matching candlestick lines up. Stick 1 has two notches far apart; stick 2 has two notches close together. These correspond with the notches cut in the socles of branch 1 and branch 2, although the second branch has one additional notch. The nozzles are also cut with locating notches, numbering from two to five, suggesting that there might once have been more than a pair of candelabra, however, there are no visible corresponding marks on the openwork sconces. H eraldry: None Hallmarks: Candlesticks: Fully marked on the apron at the base of each candlestick: lion passant (sterling), ‘F/LH/B’ (Louis Herne and Francis Butty*), ‘B’ (1757/8), and leopard’s head (London); part marked on the socle of branch 2: leopard’s head and lion passant; branch 1 and the nozzles are unmarked *Arthur Grimwade: London Goldsmiths 1697-1837, London, 1990, p 142, no 21930 Scratch weight on branches: Candelabrum 1: 38:19 Troy oz and pennyweight Candelabrum 2: 41.15 Troy oz and pennyweight Current weight of branches: Candelabrum 1: 40:5 Troy oz and pennyweights Candelabrum 2: 41:13 Troy oz and pennyweights
Provenance
(Urban) Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Baron Fairhaven (1896-1966) bequeathed by Lord Fairhaven to the National Trust along with the house and the rest of the contents National Trust
Credit line
Anglesey Abbey, the Fairhaven Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Francis Butty and Louis Herne, goldsmith
References
Ellis, 1999: Myrtle Ellis. 'Huttleston Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966) as a collector of English silver.' Apollo, 1999