The Serpent's Candle: Neoclassical Gilt Bronze Candlestick

Finely cast gilt-bronze candlestick of circular form, centered by a taper socket mounted upon a faceted rock crystal plinth. The socket is encircled by naturalistically modeled oak leaves, while a sinuously coiled serpent forms the handle, its body terminating in oak-leaf branches that extend across the tray. The dished drip pan is decorated with engine-turned and beaded borders, reflecting the refined neoclassical taste of the Empire period.

The combination of the serpent motif—an ancient symbol of wisdom, renewal, and eternity—with oak leaves, emblematic of strength and virtue, is characteristic of the symbolic vocabulary favored in French decorative arts of the early 19th century.

Dimensions: 5.25" L x 5" W x 2.75" H