EARLY 19TH CENTURY

These elegant candlesticks are executed in a type of brown and red striped and flecked porphyry called ‘Rannas’. The present candlesticks are exceptional for their tall slender form, and are embellished with beautifully-chased ormolu, with clearly defined mat and burnished areas. A virtually identical pair from the collection of the Wahrendorff family is illustrated in 'Porphyre Pierre Royale, exh. cat., Paris, 1990, no. 43. A identical pair but in ‘Tinguait’ porphyry was sold Christie’s London, 7 December 2006, lot 200 (£13,200).