These wall-lights are virtually identical to an example in the collection at the St. Petersburg museum Tsarskoe Selo, which are traditionally attributed to Jean-Pierre de Lancry, who supplied ornamental bronzes to the Imperial Court between 1804 and 1807. These included sconces 'with a representation of Minerva's heads in helmets...', a description referring to this same design (I. Sychev, Russian Bronze, Moscow, 2003, p. 101). A strikingly similar example of this Minerva mask can also be found on a French Empire chandelier illustrated in the Vergoldete Bronzen (H. Ottomeyer, P. Pröschel, et al., Vergoldete Bronzen, Munich, 1986, vol. I, pp. 306, plate XXXVIII). An identical pair sold Christie's, New York, 19 October 2006, lot 198.

Post Lot Text

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