Lot 32
  • 32

German or Southern Netherlandish, probably Nuremberg or Dinant, 16th century

Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Pair of Pricket Candlesticks on Lion Feet
  • copper alloy
  • German or Southern Netherlandish, probably Nuremberg or Dinant, 16th century

Condition

Overall the condition of the candlesticks is good, with minor dirt and wear to the surfaces consistent with age. The lions are cast separately and attached to holes at the bases. They can be tightened into place with screws. There are several nicks and scratches and small dents, particularly around the edges. There are minor casting flaws including stable fissures and some pitting to the surfaces. One of the candlesticks has more prominent stable fissures and a greater number of casting flaws at the base; this candlestick appears to have been restored (at least at the base), evident from the whitish colour sitting on the metal to the interior. There is a restoration to the lower edge of the other candlestick. Both candlesticks are composed in sections and it is possible that sections may have been reattached. Some of the screws to the interiors are probably later. The prickets are later and screw on at the top and three joints are visible at the top of one of the candlesticks. The interior drippans are possibly also later and have been affixed to the outer drippans with copper pins. There is some greening and general dirt residues in areas, notably to the crevices and drip pans. There is also some dark staining to the drip pans. There is minor warping to the material in areas, including the edges of the drip pans and bases.
"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."

Catalogue Note

This magnificent pair of large candlesticks stand on their original feet in the form of lions surmounting orbs. The presence of a dot numbering system on the feet and corresponding dots to the interior of the candlesticks confirms that they were made for each other. In terms of form, the four tiered stems with stepped drip-pans and bases follow 16th-century models: see, for example, the German 16th-century candlestick published by Lockner (op. cit.). Lion feet can be found on lecterns and candlesticks from both the 15th and 16th centuries. See, for example, the Paschal candelabrum from the Church of Saint-Léonard, Léau (Flanders..., op. cit., nos. 103-104). The present lions, with their stylised manes and tails, recall late Gothic heraldic devices post 1500. Large pairs of early candlesticks are very rare, with few of this scale having been offered on the market in recent years. Such candlesticks would have adorned a church or a fashionable Gothic interior and would undoubtedly have been expensive luxury commissions.

Dinant and Nuremberg were two of the foremost centres for metalwork in the 15th and 16th centuries. The town of Dinant, situated on the river Meuse in modern Belgium, was famed for its brass ware, termed dinanderie. Significantly, in 1466, many of the town's craftsmen were forced to flee to cities including Nuremberg, when it was sacked by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Objects made in Nuremberg thenceforth in the Dinant style are likewise often referred to as dinanderie. The relationship between the two centres was consequently very close and it remains difficult to claim with certainty that a particular dinanderie object was made in one or the other city.

RELATED LITERATURE
Flanders in the Fifteenth Century: Art and Civilisation, exh. cat., Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, 1960, pp. 268-271, nos. 103-104; H. P. Lockner, 'Licht für Kirche und Haus: Mitteleuropäische Messingleuchter des 16. Jahrhunderts', Kunst & Antiquitäten: Zeitschrift für Sammler und Museen, Hannover, fig. 3