A matched pair of carved giltwood wall brackets Régence, circa 1715-1720

each with a shaped red painted top, above two putti symmetrically flanking a female mask, the whole carved with garlands of flowers, acanthus leaves and foliage

Galerie Marcel Bissey, Paris
Sotheby's, Monaco, 18th June 1999, lot 81 and 82
Kunsthandel Röbbig, Munich

Evidence of previous gilding beneath the tops. Painting on the tops refreshed. There are hairline construction cracks generally as visible from photograph but these are normal with age and do not detract from the piece. There is a very minor restoration to the left side of the floral finial on the base but this is only evident when viewed from the back (on both). There is some flaking to the painted tops especially the larger one, which can easily be touched up. In overall good conserved condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These wall brackets were most probably part of a set of similar brackets designed to harmonise with the carved elements of a grand interior. Two other brackets of similar design, in slightly different sizes, are known. One is in the J.Paul Getty Museum, Malibu and a second one was illustrated in an advertisement for a London dealer, J.M. Botibol, published in Connoisseur, December 1949.                

Such brackets were usually made in pairs, or in greater numbers, to display imported Chinese vases or other precious vessels arranged in formal patterns on the walls. Designs for projects at Versailles show the extensive use of such brackets; Pierre Lassurance included twenty-four on one wall of his proposed elevation for the Petite Galerie in 1684. However, relatively few such wall brackets have survived. The details of the carving, especially the mask and children supporting the garland, are comparable to those in designs by Pierre Le Pautre (ca.1648-1716). See "Anselme Flamen(1647-1717)", in François Souchal, French Sculptors of the 17th and 18th Centuries: The Reign of Louis XIV, vol.1 (Oxford, 1977), pp.288-89, no.46, ill.