Pair Of Large And Important Antique French Empire Gilt Bronze Chandeliers

A pair of large and important antique French Empire gilt bronze chandeliers, each of circular form with a white enamel central dish and multiple ormolu-mounted branches. The dishes are encircled by a pierced gilt bronze gallery of palmette and anthemion motifs, from which twelve scrolling candle arms extend outward, each terminating in fluted candle cups and nozzles. The gilt bronze surface displays a rich, uniform tone, highlighting the detailed casting and precise finishing throughout the structure.The white enamel bowl is adorned with applied ormolu mounts depicting lyres, acanthus sprays, and palmettes arranged symmetrically around the base. At the center hangs a cast pinecone finial surrounded by a radiating floral rosette and scrolling foliage with applied rosettes and anthemia. The gilt bronze arms rise from the rim in balanced intervals, connected to the upper canopy by a set of four heavy reticulated chains. Each chain is composed of alternating circular and floral links, displaying detailed casting with classical floral patterns. The upper canopy features a pierced palmette frieze and a gilt acorn terminal corresponding to the one below the bowl.The chandeliers are suspended by elaborate ormolu chains connected to a domed canopy of the same material. Each element of the chandeliers, from the crown to the finial, demonstrates the precision of Empire design, emphasizing classical ornamentation and balanced proportions. The combination of gilt bronze and white enamel provides a strong visual contrast while retaining neoclassical harmony. The ormolu mounts, chased with laurel leaves and floral garlands, attest to the high quality of production characteristic of French Empire decorative bronzework of the early 1800s.