A pair of Sèvres biscuit porcelain candelabra called candélabres antiques du surtout du service particulier de l'Empereur dated 1823 and 1824

in five sections, the triangular base supported by three hooves on a plinth, the sides with applied bucrania in relief, the stem with acanthus leaves, laurel leaves and branches of oak with leaves and acorns, each separated by entwined branches and ribbon, braided ropes and interlacing, the gadrooned basin-shaped socket with applied acanthus leaves and a band of oves on top rim; one candelabrum with incised date 23-11 for November 1823, the other with incised date 24-2 for February 1824, on a later triangular gilded-metal plinth

Very likely delivered on 11 May 1827 to Louis Charles Victor de Riquet, duc de Caraman (1762-1839) for the French Embassy in Vienna.
Private European Collection.

Associated Literature

Charles Mullié, Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850, Paris, 1852, pp. 260-261.

Pierre Arizzoli-Clémentel, "Les surtouts impériaux en porcelaine de Sèvres", 1804-1814, in Bulletin des Amis Suisses de la Céramique, May 1976, pp. 3-63.

Serge Grandjean, "Un chef d'œuvre de Sèvres, le service de l'Empereur ", in Art de France, 1962, pp. 170-178.

Serge Grandjean, "Au Louvre : Un biscuit napoléonien de Sèvres", in Antologia di Belle Arti, Mélange Verlet, 1987, n° 31-32, pp. 3-15.

Jean-Pierre Samoyault, "La Table Impériale", Versailles et les Tables royales en Europe, exhibition catalogue, November 1993, February 1994, p. 197, pp. 202-204.

Anne Dion-Tennebaum, Revue du Louvre, April 1998, n° 41.

Tamara Préaud, The Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, Alexandre Brongniart and the Triumph of Art and Industry, 1800-1847, 1998, pp. 116-117 and p. 190, n° 22.

Bernard Chevallier, "Le Service particulier de l'Empereur", Trésors de la Fondation Napoléon, dans l'intimité de la Cour impériale, exhibition catalogue, Musée Jacquemart-André, September 2004-April 2005, pp. 127-130

The one dated 23/11: One angle on triangular base broken and restuck, the end of two acanthus leaves above hooves restored; on second section : the end of an acanthus leaf restored; on third section : the end of a laurel leaf restored on 1 cm, a very tiny chip at the end of another laurel leaf (approx. 2 mm), three small leaves on upper part of third section restored; on fourth section : the end of a laurel leaf restored on approx. 0,5 cm; on fifth section the basin-shaped socket: a minor small firing crack on interlacing, anther very small one on socket. The one dated 24/2: One angle on triangular base broken and restuck, small chips to base, on second section : the end of an acanthus leaf restored, a small chip to another acanthus leaf; on fourth section : the end of a laurel leaf restored; on fifth section the basin-shaped socket: an haircrack on the gadroons.
"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 forms, called candélabres antiques¸ were originally designed between 1807 and 1810 for the surtout du service particulier de l'Empereur. Napoléon 1^st ordered a new service in October 1807 to replace the service Olympique given to Tsar Alexander 1^st. Together with this service also known as service des Quartiers Généraux was a surtout de table of 25 biscuit pieces including 16 antique figures, a chariot drawn by two horses, tripods d'Apollon, basin-shaped sockets, antique chairs and two candelabra. Alexandre Brongniart, director of the Sevres factory, upon the advice of Dominique Vivant Denon, chose the models among antiquities kept in the Musée Napoléon, except the chariot, designed by the sculptor Moutoni. Two drawings of the surtout dated 1809 are still in the Sèvres archives and in the National Archives (fig. 1). The architect Théodore Brongniart, father of the Sèvres director, received 100 francs in 1809 for these two drawings. The candelabra were modeled by Jean Charles Nicolas Brachard from May 1809 after a partly antique candelabrum coming from Napoli, then preserved in the Vatican before it reached the Louvre after the Tolentino treaty of 1797. The candelabra were delivered on 27 March 1810 for 3,600 Francs. The service particulier de l'Empereur and the surtout were used for the first time on 2 April 1810 at the occasion of the Grand Couvert dinner to celebrate the wedding of Napoleon and Marie-Louise at the Château des Tuileries. In an oil painting by Alexandre Dufay, called Casanova, now in the Château de Fontainebleau (fig. 2) depicting the wedding banquet, the two Sèvres biscuit candelabras can be seen behind the ormolu candelabra. The principal pieces of the Emperor's Grand Vermeil (silver-gilt) service were placed on the table with figures after the Antique from the surtout of the service de l'Empereur and with Sèvres Medicis flower vases.

Seven pairs of Candélabres antiques are recorded in the Sevres registers from 1812 to 1830. This phrase, though, could describe the model from the surtout du service de l'Empereur as well as another model on square base (the plaster model illustrated by C. Lechevallier-Chevignard, Le Biscuit de Sèvres, Directoire, Consultat et 1er Empire, Paris, 1923, pl. 38).

 

A pair valued at 1200 francs was delivered as a present in December 1812 to the Comtesse de Marmier, daughter of the Comte de Choiseul-Stainville, dame d'honneur of the Empress Marie-Louise (Arch. MNS, Vy 21 f° 32). Another pair was sent in 1819 to the Cour de Rome, together with three biscuit tripods and a service iconographique antique (Arch. MNS, Vbb5, 383). Two other pairs were delivered to the duc d'Angoulême in 1821 and to the duc de Raguse in 1827, at the price of 1200 francs per pair, the latest already in stock in 1813 (Vbb 7, f° 14v).

 

 

On 11 May 1827, a pair of candélabres antiques d'après les candélabres du Musée Royal valued at 1200 francs are sent by order dated December 1826 of Monsieur le Vicomte de La Rochefoucauld to the French Embassy in Vienna together with a Sèvres porcelain dessert service painted with flowers and pale blue ground, a group of Bacchus and Ceres on a chariot and two groups of the Three Graces both models created for the surtout du service Olympique (Arch. MNS, Vbb7, f° 27) (fig. 3).

The present pair dated November 1823 and February 1824 is very likely the one sent to Vienna.

The candelabra dated 1824 is mentioned in the kiln records from 12 to 19 February 1824 described as 1 candélabre de table complet (Arch. MNS, VC'11, f°8).

 

The French Ambassador to Vienna from 1815 to 1828 was Louis Charles Victor de Riquet, duc de Caraman (1762-1839) (fig.4). He started a diplomatic career under the reign of Louis XVI when his family sent him to many European countries with the support of the Comte de Vergennes, minister of Foreign Affairs. He served in the Prussian army during the French Revolution and was sent to prison from 1801 for several years. In 1814, Louis XVIII restored the Duc de Caraman into favour and named him French ambassador to Prussia and to Vienna the year after.

 

Two pairs of candélabres antiques described as dorés and richement dorés are mentioned in the Sèvres archives in 1827, 1830 and 1848 with the Service des départments (Arch. MNS Vbb11, f° 27).

 

Another pair of Sèvres biscuit candélabres antiques of the same model is now preserved at the Louvre Museum, given in 1997 by Mrs Akram Ojjeh and published by Anne Dion-Tennebaum, Revue du Louvre, April 1998, n° 41.