Pair Antique French Painted Three Arm Lamps circa 1890

A pair of striking antique French Régence style three arm carved and painted wooden candleabra lamps from France circa 1890 now wired as table lamps. The grand scale of these candelabra is tremendously intriguing. These antique French lamps are the size necessary to fit the scale of furniture in early eighteenth century France. All buffets and chests had to be deep enough to accommodate lighting sources from candlesticks to candelabras on their top surface and these tended to be large in order to cast a lot of light. Please use the zoom feature offered to see the elegant detailing that is visible on all sides as every surface features handsome decorative detail. It is important to recall that lighting used to be a major achievement in eighteenth century interiors as the only available sources were a fire blazing in a hearth and however many candles a household could afford. The more candles able to be lit depended upon the wealth of the owners meant that the interior of a home could range from dim to bright depending upon the amount of candles used. Each of these candelabra features a sphere in the centre with raised strap work decoration and three scrolled arms that are placed evenly around the circumference of the sphere. Each arm begins at the top with a smooth circular section that contains the candle nozzle while the arm itself has a unique configuration with a six sided profile that tapers down to a scrolled point. All three arms are affixed to the sphere with a stylized bracket that resembles those seen on antique iron torches attached to a wall. The base of each candelabra is also circular with a flat edge that encircles a series of six unfurled acanthus leaves with upraised tips interspersed with a panel of descending bellflowers separating the large leaves. The change in scale between the bigger and smaller sections adds visual interest especially when the the pieces are lighted so a play of shadows and light is able to caress the surface. In order to connect the upper and lower sections of each candelabra there is a compressed sphere that has a smooth surface to contrast nicely with the decorative surface seen elsewhere. The sphere itself is topped with a grand scale urn shaped finial that has both a ribbed and smooth design. Both candelabras have been rewired for American electricity and all the candle arms are fitted with a standard bulb socket. The unusual appearance of these candelabra and the beauty of the painted decoration give them an impressive appearance and ensure they will be a bold addition to an interior.