Candelabra
Francis Butty and Louis Herne
Category
Silver
Date
1757 - 1758
Materials
Silver, sterling
Measurements
42.7 x 36 x 17.5 cm; 2214 g (Weight)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
NT 516438.2
Summary
An openwork candelabrum (one of a pair), silver-gilt (sterling), mark of Louis Herne & Francis Butty, London, 1757/8. The 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 openwork 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. Either side of the socle and finial spring scrolling foliage arms, which entwine to support circular openwork drip pans and openwork campanula-shaped sconces. 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 the candlestick is cut with two locating notches close together, which correspond with two notches cut in the socle of the matching branches, although the socle has one additional distant notch. The nozzles are also cut with locating notches, numbering from two and 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. Heraldry: None
Full description
For further details see master object entry.
Credit line
Anglesey Abbey, the Fairhaven Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Francis Butty and Louis Herne, goldsmith