A George III Mahogany Torchère, Circa 1765

Christie's London, 31 October 2012, lot 96;

Where acquired by Aso O. Tavitian

Stands are a piece of furniture whose function can be highly versatile within an interior; the open, light design of this one indicates that it was originally intended to hold a candle aloft. By contrast with pedestals, which were intended for the display of heavy marble busts and so were generally more substantial, a candle stand (often called a ‘torchère’) benefited from being light enough to be moved easily around a room as the lighting required. This meant that torchères could take graceful and elegant forms, including having a single stem on a tripod base or on long but narrow tripod legs. This creative example makes full use of the possibilities of pierced construction in a design that relies almost exclusively on the C-scroll motif, and would have been a pleasant visual rhyme with the Chippendale pierced chair backs that were widespread in the period’s interiors.