A PAIR OF SPANISH COLONIAL NEOCLASSICAL ORMOLU CANDELABRA AFTER THE MODEL BY JEAN-CHARLES DELAFOSSE, PROBABLY EXECUTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MANUEL TOLSÁ MEXICO, LATE 18TH CENTURY

M. Romero de Terreros, Las Artes Industriales en la Nueva Espana, Mexico, 1923, p. 70, fig. 23.

Of great scale and proportions. Some rubbing to the base but overall in good condition. Some of the mounts are slightly loose. General surface scratches and oxidation consistent with use and age.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Based on a Delafosse design, yet not of French manufacture, these candelabra are an interesting example of the spread of French culture in the eighteenth century. The design of these candelabra is based on an engraving of a pricket candlestick by Jean-Charles Delafosse published in his Nouvelle Iconologie Historique (1769). Delafosse (1734-1789) was a French architect who also designed decorations and engraved them himself. By publishing his designs, they were copied by other French makers but they were also sent to bronziers working far from France, such as Manuel Tolsá. Tolsá was a sculptor and architect who practiced in both Spain and Mexico. He arrived in Mexico in 1791 after being appointed director of sculpture at the new Academy of San Carlos in Mexico City. He brought with him plaster casts, a library of designs, and an aesthetic interest in the Neoclassical. Most likely, part of his library contained works by Delafosse which would have been copied and imitated by the Mexican craftsmen with whom he worked.

In the present example, the candelabra are a slightly simplified version of Delafosse's engraving. The construction techniques are also not typical of French production, which points to a colonial origin. Tolsá, being the most sought after sculptor and designer in Mexico at the time, would have most likely overseen their production. Tolsá was involved in completing the cathedral in Mexico City, the College of Mines, and the High Altar of the Cathedral of Puebla. He worked with several bronziers and gilders, such as Rodriguez Alconedo, Jéronimo Antonio Gil, and he even created his own bronze foundry.

An identical pair was sold Sotheby's New York, October 23, 2013, lot 95, while two others executed under the direction of Manuel Tolsá were sold in the same sale, lots 93 and 94.