Empire Style Lion Paw Candlestick, Heavy, Small Size (3055)

📐 DIMENSIONS — Height 34 cm × Width 22 cm. Heavy piece.

Bronze Four-Arm Candelabra on Lion Paw Base — Empire Style

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🏛️ PERIOD, ART STYLE, HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Made approximately in the first half to mid-19th century, between 1810 and 1860. A classic Empire style (style Empire) bronze candelabra, fully consistent with the decorative arts canon of the Napoleonic era. The Empire style originated in France around 1800 and spread throughout Europe, including the Empire, where it gained particular popularity in aristocratic interiors. Key stylistic features present in this piece include: a fluted (cannelé) columnar shaft — a direct reference to antique architecture; lion paw feet (pattes de lion) as base supports — one of the most iconic Empire style elements; arms terminating in griffin heads (têtes de griffon) — a mythological motif symbolising strength and vigilance; lotus and acanthus leaf motifs on the candle cups and base. Candelabras of this type adorned dining tables in banquet halls, salon mantlepieces, and writing desks in the highest social circles.

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⚜️ MAKER AND FOUNDRY MARKS

The underside of the base shows a plain, unmarked bronze surface with cast screw-fixing points. No clearly legible maker’s mark has been identified. The high quality of casting, sharpness of detail, and heavy solid bronze point to a professional or Belgian foundry. The piece may originate from one of the renowned Paris bronze ateliers specialising in Empire-style decorative objects in the first half of the 19th century — such as Thomire & Cie or a comparable foundry — though no firm attribution can be made without a mark.

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💎 RARITY AND SIGNIFICANCE

An Empire-style bronze candelabra with lion paw base and griffin head arms is a classic and consistently sought-after antique. The four-arm version with a fifth central candle position is rarer than the standard two- or three-arm configurations. Collectors and interior designers actively seek pieces of this type, particularly in , , and Scandinavian high-end antique markets. Quality Empire candelabras sell for 300–800 EUR per piece, with matching pairs commanding considerably higher prices.

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🕯️ USE IN INTERIOR DESIGN AND PHOTOGRAPHY

This candelabra is a versatile and refined interior accent. As a table centrepiece, it creates an ideal focal point for a banquet or romantic dinner setting. On a mantelpiece, it provides an elegant complement to a classical or neoclassical interior. It also works beautifully in a home library, study, or salon console. For photographers and stylists, this piece is a highly valuable prop — the warm golden bronze, lion paws, and griffin details create a striking visual effect in fashion, lifestyle, and home interior shoots. It is equally well suited to film and theatre set decoration evoking the Empire or Biedermeier periods.

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🔍 CONDITION

Overall condition is good and consistent with age. The bronze retains a bright, warm golden patina with uneven toning — darker areas are visible in certain sections, particularly on the base and between ornamental details, indicative of natural ageing. One of the griffin head arms shows minor mechanical wear or joint fatigue at the connection point. Green wax residue is present in the candle cups, evidence of prolonged active use. The base is stable. The arms are secured with screws — original fixing.

The condition of the item is fully reflected in the photographs.