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A very fine and rare pair of French late 18th century ormolu mounted Locrè porcelain candlesticks, delicately painted with naturalistic floral bouquets and garlands. The ormolu finely chased and modelled with exotic birds and chains.  

Circa 1790.

Provenance : Private collection of an English Lord, thence English private collection

This pair of ormolu mounted candlesticks was made by the Locré porcelain factory.  This was one of the most important and productive pre-Revolution Paris factory’s making hard paste porcelain.  

Jean-Baptiste Locré was a businessman who invested his fortune in building the factory at La Courtille. He invited Laurentius Russinger, a porcelain specialist and sculptor who had worked at the Höchst factory to work there in 1772 and in 1777 appointed him as manager. By the late 1760s the right kind of clay (kaolin) to make glassy Meissen style porcelain, had been discovered in France at Saint-Yrieux, near Limoges. This was used by Russinger to produce a hard-paste porcelain similar to Meissen that could withstand boiling water, which was an important selling point for the factory's wares that they used in their advertisements. Sometimes known as 'La Courtille' after its location in Paris, the factory is also sometimes referred to as Locré, Russinger and Pouyat - François Pouyat was a porcelain dealer in Limoges who supplied the clay. The factory owed him so much money he became one of its partners and eventually he and his three sons took over. 

Locré made the same type of objects as the famous Sèvres factory; a wide range of table and tea wares and useful items. A variety of painted and gilded decoration was used from simple floral sprigs to elaborate Etruscan, neo-classical or other fashionable designs. It was even exported to England, where it has been found with English painting by William Billingsley.  Biscuit figures were well modelled, doubtless under the direction of Russinger.  A Sèvres memo of 1777 spoke of the enterprising Locré having secured moulds of Boizot’s new figures before they were issued by the royal factory. Gérard père, a Sèvres painter, was perhaps the medium of these transactions.  Christophe Mö of Mennency and Seceaux worked for Locré and his signature is sometimes found on figures.  The factory continued to flourish even during the Revolution.  

The crossed torches, registered in 1773, should be carefully distinguished from the arrows ascribed to the Rue de la Roquettes. The flames of the torches point upwards, the feathers of the arrows downwards and the initials which sometimes accompany the mark give an indication of direction.  It is obvious that the mark was commonly drawn in such a way as to resemble the crossed swords of Meissen.
 

Dimensions

Height: 30 cm, Base diam: 10 cm




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The BADA Standard

  • Since 1918, BADA has been the leading association for the antiques and fine art trade
  • Members are elected for their knowledge, integrity and quality of stock
  • Our clients are protected by BADA’s code of conduct
  • Our dealers’ membership is reviewed and renewed annually
  • Bada.org is a non-profit site: clients deal directly with members and they pay no hidden fees
Click here for more information on the BADA Standard

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