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169 - PAIR OF TERRACOTTA MODELS FOR SANCTUARY LAMPS Attributed to …
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Estimate €10,000 - €15,000
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Description
PAIR OF TERRACOTTA MODELS FOR SANCTUARY LAMPS Attributed to Baron Henri-Joseph Triqueti (1803-1874), circa 1835-1844 Each with a circular medallion on the ceiling, decorated with an interlaced frieze and a drop-shaped finial, from which hang interlaced chains and a circular lamp surmounted by three winged and veiled figures, one of which represents a memento mori; the sides decorated with medallions with male busts in high relief and coats of arms; the upper section apparently original and restored. H. 125 cm (49 ¼ in.) D. 60 cm (23 ½ in.) Comparative bibliography: S. Deschamps-Tan, "Henri de Triqueti (Conflans-sur-le-Loing 1803-Paris 1874). Vase from the Monument to Dante and Petrarch. 1838-1839", La Revue des musées de France. Revue du Louvre, 2025-2, 2025, 89, p. 89, no. 109. F. Viguier-Dutheil; S. Deschamps-Tan; C. Fabre, (dir.), Ferdinand-Philippe d'Orléans. Images d'un prince idéal, cat. exp. (Montauban, Musée Ingres-Bourdelle, 18 June - 24 October 2021), Montauban, Paris, Musée Ingres Bourdelle; Le Passage, 2021. A pair of French terracotta models for sanctuary lamps, attributed to baron Henri-Joseph-François de Triqueti (1803-1874), French, circa 1835-1844 These terracotta lamps, inspired by 18th-century silver sanctuary lamps, bear witness to Baron Triqueti's boundless creative talent. The shrouded and veiled figures resting on the edges of these lamps closely resemble some of Triqueti's terracotta works and drawings from this period. The winged figures here are similar to the winged figures on the handles of the bronze vase from the Monument to Dante and Petrarch in the Louvre (RFML.SC.2024.22.1). Note also the winged angels holding musical instruments and an angel playing the trumpet, which are closely related to the same figure on one of the lamps shown here (H. de Triqueti, 1803-1874: Le sculpteur des princes, cat. exp., Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Orléans and Musée Girodet, Montargis, 3 October 2007 - 6 January 2008, p. 30, nos. 18-21). We find similarities in the positioning, the modelling of the figures and the decoration of the body of our lamps in the study for the Vase de la Chasse (1835) and the project for the Pedestal for the Duc d'Orléans vase (1839) (Ibid., pp. 42-43, nos. 40, 41 and 43). The body of our lamps is decorated with a frieze in relief and medallions with male busts in high relief. which can be found on several works by Triqueti, in particular the Aiguière des Mères Israélites (1835) and the Aiguière de l'Espérance, de la Patience, de la Paix et de la Justice (1838) (ibid., pp. 36-37, no. 28). Henri de Triqueti (1804-1874), son of a Franco-Italian baron; his companion was the pioneering English sculptor Susan Durant, and his son, the English diplomat Sir Paul Harvey. Triqueti's clients and friends included the French, English and Prussian royal families. Alongside Félicie de Fauveau, Antonin Moine, Jean-Jacques Feuchère and Jehan Duseigneur, Triqueti embodied the dialogue between sculpture and the decorative arts, at the heart of the reflections of the French and English royal families. of the Romantic generation on old styles. An admirer of the skills of the past, he was fascinated by the Florentine goldsmiths of the Cinquecento. Initially trained as a painter by Hersent, he retained a marked taste for drawing throughout his life, as demonstrated by the extensive collection bequeathed to the École des Beaux-Arts by his daughter. He made his name at the Salon of 1831 with La Mort de Charles le Téméraire, and went on to have an eclectic career, between restoration (Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle) and creation. Triqueti created and distinguished himself with numerous works in the neo-Gothic and above all neo-Renaissance style: swords, daggers, candlesticks, lamps, mirrors and vases. However, his religious creations remained central, notably the doors of the Madeleine church and the cenotaph of the Duc d'Orléans. His most ambitious work, Prince Albert's chapel, testifies to his ability to design ensembles in which sculpture and decoration are united, making him an original figure, both sculptor and designer. Unfortunately, the coat of arms on the underside of the lamps remains unidentified. Some have speculated that they are Italian, but as Triqueti worked for many wealthy, aristocratic and royal families - many of whom had their own private chapels - these lamps could have been commissioned or perhaps proposed by Triqueti for one or other of these private chapels. Whatever the origin of this project, these lamps - which must now be appreciated simply as sculptures - still seem as surprising and modern as they must have been almost 200 years ago.
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About the sale Furniture and Works of Art - Evening Sale (Lot 1-170)
Auction location
Auction time 06/16/2026 at 5:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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