Ensemble de cinq flambeaux en argent par Bernhard Heinrich Wey(h)e, Augsbourg, 1743-1749

la base ronde, le fût orné de masques retenant des guirlandes de grains d'orge sommés d'une frise de coquilles et d'écailles, le pied à décor de feuilles d'acanthe gravé d'armoiries d'alliance

circular, the stem cast, applied and engraved in French style with husk-hung masks below a shell and scale border, the foot with acanthus leaves and engraved accollé coats-of-arms






 

A pair (1743-45 and 1747-49) sold Sothebys New York, December 16 and 17, 1976, lot 150
Albrecht Neuhaus Kunsthandel, 1994
Collection privée européenne

some minor scratches commensurate with age, very good condition otherwise, very crisp details and ornaments, 3 dated 1743-1745, 1 dated 1745-1747, 1 dated 1747-1749
"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."

The arms are those of Christian Carl Reinhard Graf zu Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg in Heidesheim accollé with those of Catharina Polyxena Gräfin zu Solms-Rödelheim, whose marriage took place in Mettenheim on 27 November 1726
By all accounts Christian Carl was an enlightened ruler of the county of Leinigen; he protected the protestant refugees after their expulsion from Salzburg. Considered the principal count (graf)  in the German empire, he refused elevation by the emperor to the rank of prince (fürst) . Part of his education took place in Paris (1713-16) which might account for his taste in these candelsticks which are clearly influenced by French models. After his death the family line died out, but through his daughters Marie-Louise (1729-1818) and Caroline Felizitas (1735-1803) he became ancestor to the German emperor Wilhelm I and to Queen Elizabeth II
Berhard Heinrich Wey(he) was an outstanding goldsmith of his generation reponsible for some of the most exuberant rococco silver of the 18th century, such as the renowned multiple-piece table centre made for the newly appointed prince bishop of Hildesheim in 1763, Friedrich Wilhelm von Westphalen. This is now in the Bavarian Nationalmuseum, Munich.