a pair of napoleon III rouge griotte marble and patinated bronze four-light candelabra

Ferdinand Levillain (1837-1905) exhibited at the Paris Salon from 1861. He was awarded a Silver Medal at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, and was made by the French state Chevalier de la Legion d' Honneur in 1892.

Ferdinand Barbedienne (1810-1892) started in 1839 with a small foundry in Paris and became one of the most important bronzier of his time. In 1847 he established his main gallery at 30 Boulevard Poissonniere and his workshop at 63 rue de Lancry. His firm employed some 300 workers involved in the production of works of art of which a large quantity was made for export. He worked from his own designs as well as from those of leading artists of his time, as is the case with the present lot.