Gilt Bronze Candlestick Appraisal

French Gilt Bronze and Champlevé Enamel Candlestick with Chimera Base

This is a decorative nineteenth-century style or late-Victorian era candlestick featuring a sophisticated combination of gilt bronze (ormolu) and champlevé enamel work. The piece stands on a stepped, rectangular cast bronze base with a beading-style textured border. The most prominent structural feature is a highly stylized mythological sea-beast or chimera, which acts as the riser for the candle holder. This creature is cast with intricate details showing scales and a curved tail that forms a handle-like scroll. Above the chimera sits a cylindrical central column decorated with vibrant champlevé enameling, featuring white and blue floral motifs against a brilliant turquoise-blue background. The top candle cup exhibits an urn-like shape with embossed scrollwork and gadrooned edges. The overall construction suggests an eclecticism typical of the Second Empire or Napoleon III style, likely originating from France or a high-quality Continental workshop during the mid-to-late 1800s. The metal shows a soft, aged patina with some darkening in the recessed areas, which is consistent with its age and helps highlight the depth of the casting. There are no immediate signs of significant repair or enamel loss visible, though there is a light dulling to the gilt finish which indicates historical use and natural oxidation. The craftsmanship is refined, particularly in the balance between the heavy neoclassical bronze elements and the delicate, colorful enamel work.