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pair of antique silver candlesticksa silver figurine with a crown on top of ita close up of a knife on a white surfacea close up of a rock with a bird on it
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89 - A pair of silver candlesticks;
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Estimate €7,000 - €10,000
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Description
A pair of silver candlesticks; resting on a base featuring contoured lines, mouldings and ovals. The bell is chiselled with fillets, leaf-motif clasps and channels against an amati background. The shaft has double bulges chiselled with fillets, scrolls of acanthus foliage, cascading roses and cascading fleurons against an amati ground. The cap features the same ornamentation, the upper part edged with ovals and mirror motifs. Engraved on the base: ABB. Paris 1738–1739; Master silversmith: Alexis III Loir, admitted in 1733 A pair of silver candlesticks with moulded fillet-edged contours is included. Paris 1772–1773; Master silversmith: Jean-Louis Outrebon, admitted in 1772 (on one of the candlesticks the hallmarks are difficult to read) H: 25.2 cm Weight: 1,685 g. A pair of a very similar design, dating from 1750–1752, formed part of the David-Weill collection, lot no. 41, at the Palais Galliera auction in Paris, conducted by Mes Ader and Picard, on 4 June 1971. For a similar set of eight candlesticks: SVV Dupont et associés, Morlaix, 8 August 2016, lot 125. Alexis III Loir (Paris, 1697–1775) Alexis III Loir belonged to a prominent dynasty of Parisian silversmiths. Born on 10 October 1697, he was the son of Alexis II Loir and Catherine Mouchet. Although trained in his father’s workshop, he supplemented his apprenticeship with a long period of journeyman service under various Parisian masters before becoming a master himself. He was admitted as a master goldsmith in Paris on 7 December 1733, at the age of thirty-six, which was a relatively advanced age for admission to the guild. On this occasion, he registered his master’s hallmark, consisting of the letters ‘AL’ surmounted by a lamp, under the sponsorship of master goldsmith Jean Chabrol. His business flourished in the heart of the goldsmiths’ quarter: having set up shop on the Quai des Orfèvres in 1748, he subsequently moved his workshop to Rue Bertin-Poirée from 1752 onwards. Alexis III Loir held important positions within the Parisian goldsmiths’ guild: he was elected guardian of the guild in 1751 and again in 1764, thereby playing a part in the oversight and regulation of the trade. Loir’s career spanned one of the most brilliant periods in Parisian goldsmithing during the reign of Louis XV. His work is particularly renowned for the quality of his candelabra, for which he became one of the most sought-after specialists. He both continued and revitalised the designs developed in the early 18th century, notably those associated with the goldsmith Guillaume Ledoux, by developing a decorative vocabulary characteristic of the Rocaille style: supple lines, undulating bases, plant motifs and a refined balance between technical virtuosity and formal elegance. The death of Alexis III Loir was recorded by the wardens of the goldsmiths’ guild on 16 December 1775. He left behind a considerable body of work, now highly sought-after, which occupies a major place in the history of 18th-century Parisian goldsmithing. Thanks to the quality of his work and the consistency of his style, Alexis III Loir ranks amongst the great Parisian silversmiths of the transitional generation between the full flowering of the Rocaille style and the emergence of the Neoclassical taste.
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About the sale Biennale – Classical Centuries & Tableware
Auction location
Auction time 09/16/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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