Pair of Louis XVI Style Appliqué Wall Sconce
France
19th Century
Luis XVI style
Wired for electric lights
Bronze and glass
Cm 70 high
These 19th century French bronze wall sconces or appliqués display a variety of the neoclassical elements found in the Louis XVI style. The central vertical of the sconces seems to mix the forms of both a torch and archer's quiver, the "feathers" of the arrows visible below the stylized ribbon bow from which the sconce "hangs." The torch/quiver is decorated with crossed garlands of laurel, another nod to antiquity. Originally designed for use with candles, the sconces have each been retrofit with electrical wiring and sockets, each with etched, frosted glass chimneys in "matador" style. The bronze is not highly polished, and has a nice patina of age.
