'THE BARON LIONEL DE ROTHSCHILD ROCK CRYSTAL CANDLESTICKS'

'THE BARON LIONEL DE ROTHSCHILD ROCK CRYSTAL CANDLESTICKS'

A RARE PAIR OF FRENCH LOUIS XVI ROCK CRYSTAL AND ORMOLU CANDLESTICKS

LATE 18TH CENTURY

each with an octagonal sconce above a lobed and faceted stem decorated with ormolu mounts of leaves and ram's heads supporting swags of flowers, on a faceted circular foot with an acanthus leaf rim (2)

26cm high, foot 14.7cm diameter

Provenance

Baron Lionel de Rothschild (1808-1879) at 148 Piccadilly, London

Alfred de Rothschild (1842-1918) the Morning Room, Halton House, Buckinghamshire

Lionel de Rothschild (1882-1942)

Edmund de Rothschild (1916-2009)

The Trustees of Exbury House

Literature

Rothschild Archive, London, Manuscript 000/176/11, 'The Division of the property of the late Baron Lionel de Rothschild between Sir Nathaniel de Rothschild, Leopold de Rothschild, Esq., and Alfred de Rothschild, Esq., 1881'. Listed under 'Rock Crystal' as 'A pair of candlesticks with rams' heads' and recorded as going to Alfred.

Literature

Rothschild Archive, London, Manuscript: 000/174/C/3, Christie, Manson & Woods Probate Valuation of 'The Estate of Alfred C. de Rothschild, Esq. C.V.O. Deceased, Halton House Tring'. 1918. Listed as 'A pair of rock crystal table candlesticks, mounted with ormolu rams' heads and festoons of flowers, on circular plinths. £20.0.0.'

Catalogue Note

For a similar pair of candlesticks see Sotheby's, Addiction: Benjamin Steinitz, lot 25. In their footnote they state that a pair of silver candlesticks with siimilar virtuoso use of rock crystal by the goldsmith Jean-Louis Mennaust were exhibited at the Musees des Art Decoratifs in 1954.

These splendid candlesticks were formerly in the collection of Baron Lionel de Rothschild (1808­-1879). Lionel Nathan de Rothschild was the eldest son of Nathan Mayer Rothschild (1777­1836) and after spells working for the family bank in Paris, London and Frankfurt, he became the head of the London house of NM Rothschild & Sons in 1836 at the age of 28. His London home was 148 Piccadilly which had sumptuous French Louis XVI style interiors which housed Lionel's fabulous art collection which he had developed during his apprenticeship in Europe. The collection which was divided amongst his three sons was dominated by Old Masters many of which were acquired from the Van Loon collection

and Renaissance works of art including silver and early rock crystals. The collection is mentioned by Waagen in 'Art Treasures in Great Britain', 1854.

They candlesticks were inherited by Alfred and he had them on his desk in the Morning Room at Halton House.