Gilded Venetian Blackamoors with 6-Branch Candelabra

A pair of parcel gilt Venetian Blackamoors with six branch…
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A pair of parcel gilt Venetian Blackamoors with six branch candelabra, second half 20th century each electrified six-light candelabrum with opposing ebonised and gilded standing figures raising a flambeau issuing six scrolling branches terminating in leafed candle-cups, the hollow moulded figures supported on serpentine pedestals with gilded acanthus leaves at each corner. Height 202 cm

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  • Acanthus - A stylized leaf motif, one of the primary decorative elements of classical Greek and Roman architecture, derived from the genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Mediterranean area. It is a common element in classical Greek and Roman design, and is often seen in Corinthian and Composite order columns and used as a decorative element in English, European and Australian furniture, particularly on the curve of a leg, and as decoration for a corbel.
  • Gilding - Gilding is a method of ornamentation whereby a thin sheet of gold metal is applied to items made of wood, leather, ceramics, glass and silver for decorative purposes.

    For furniture including mirrors, the sheet of gold is usually applied over a coating of gesso. Gesso is a mixture of plaster of Paris and gypsum mixed with water and then applied to the carved wooden frames of mirrors and picture frames as a base for applying the gold leaf. After numerous coats of gesso have been applied, allowed to dry and then sanded a coat of "bole", a usually red coloured mixture of clay and glue is brushed on and allowed to dry, after which the gold leaf is applied. Over time parts of the gilding will rub off so the base colour can be seen. In water gilding, this was generally a blue colour, while in oil gilding, the under layer was often yellow. In Victorian times, gilders frequently used red as a pigment beneath the gold leaf.

    Metal was often gilded by a process known as fire gilding. Gold mixed with mercury was applied and heated, causing the mercury to evaporate, the long-term effect of which was to kill or disable the craftsman or woman from mercury poisoning. The pursuit of beauty has claimed many victims, not the least of which were the artists who made those pieces so highly sought after today.
  • Flambeau - Flambeau translates from the French as "torch", being a flame torch, and is usually applied to a flame shaped finial or a light shade in the form of a flame. Sometimes a candelabra will have a detachable flambeau shaped finial that fits into the central candle nozzle.
  • Parcel Gilt - An item or component that is partially gilded, the purpose of the gilding being to accentuate the decoration. For example a silver vessel may have gilded highlights, or the leg of a table or chair may have gilded carvings.

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