Maison Charles Gilt Bronze Wall Lights Louis XVI on a Model by Jean Haure/Thomire

A pair of Maison Charles Louis XVI style gilt bronze, two-branch wall lights, each with a backplate the upper part of which is in the form of a patinated putto playing pipes (a double aulos), the candle arms scrolled, with foliate decoration and nozzles shaped like foliage. The wall lights are marked “Charles” on the back and was bought in the 1970s at the famous Munich interior house Bernheimer.
The design for this fine pair of appliques or wall lights, is based on the important 18th century model sculpted by the maître-fondeur ‘Jean Hauré’, cast by ‘Forestier’ and chased by ‘Thomire’ for the Château de St. Cloud. In their book ‘Vergoldete Bronzen’, Hans Ottomeyer and Peter Pröschel note that this model of appliqué can be ascribed to Jean Hauré who delivered near identical works to the Garde-Meuble de la Couronne in 1787. The pair appear to be an exquisite copy of the original design by Jean Hauré, executed by the famous interior design firm ‘Maison Charles’, Paris. A pair of appliques of nearly identical design are in the Jones Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum (Museum number: 9751882) . A further set of four appliques are in the Wrightsman Collection in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. See: Ottomeyer, Pröschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich 1986, vol. I, p. 426, no. 6.3.15.

46 H x 25 B x 13,5 D cm.