Page 324 - Bonhams Catalog Cohen and Cohen Jan 24, 2023 New York

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AN IMPORTANT LARGE PAIR OF FAMILLE ROSE ‘TORCH- being prepared by him for the Dutch VOC for manufacturing in China.
BEARER’ ROCOCO CANDLE SCONCES FOR THE EUROPEAN The shape is entirely European in origin. Western wall sconces were
MARKET made in many metals, notably silver, gilt-bronze and brass, to provide
Early Qianlong period, circa 1740 candlelight in a variety of interiors, the shiny metal admirably reflecting
The elaborate sconces richly enameled in a variety of bright colors, the flickering light of the tallow candles.
the very unusual shape following a European baroque metal original,
the center of the sconce boldly enameled with a fanciful Chinoiserie The inspiration for the Chinoiserie torchbearer here is likely to be one of
standing figure holding a blazing torch raised high over their head various figures, several of which show eastern ceremonial processions
and another unlit lowered at his right side, all contained within a relief- with figures bearing flaming torches, published in Ceremonies and
molded ‘frame’ incorporating C-scrolls, lattice work, scrolling leaf Religious Customs of Various Nations of the World by J. F. Bernard
forms and other baroque motifs and open-winged parrots in the upper and Bernard Picart (Amsterdam, 1723-30).
quadrants, all brilliantly enameled and with gilt highlights, the reverse
sides unglazed and pierced for suspension. This design is variously known as the ‘Torch-bearer’ or the ‘Flame
19 1/4in (48.7cm) high (2). Dancer’ and is recorded in two Chinese export porcelain versions
featuring different relief-molded frames around the painted figure.
$80,000 - 120,000 The other version is thinner and smaller and does not include the
phoenixes relief-molded in the surrounding ‘frame’. The sconces are
乾隆早期 約1740年 為歐洲市場製大件粉彩洛可可《攜火者》壁燭座 correctly fitted for functional use as they would have been in 18th
一對 century Europe with (later) European bronze foliate candle sconces,
probably 19th century, and set with European porcelain white
flowerheads.
Published:
Cohen & Cohen, Take Two!, Antwerp, 2017, pp. 118-123, no. 52, with
illustrations of the variations among Pronk-style sconces, and pp. 122- References: for other examples see The Hermitage, in Arapova et
123 for an essay by Will Motley on ‘The Pronk Workshop Enterprise.’ al., 2003, no. 49; Boston Museum of Fine arts (no. 2006.891.1&2), a
pair; Jörg, 1980, fig. 13, p. 38; formerly in the Mottahedeh Collection,
出版： illustrated by Howard & Ayers, 19789, Vol. 1, p. 295; Cohen & Cohen,
倫敦Cohen & Cohen古董行，2017年，頁120-121，圖版編號52，例 2008, no. 23, for a sconce with Chinese figures; Cohen & Cohen,
圖各式普龍克風格之燭臺，Motley并於頁122-123撰文《The Pronk 2007, no. 11, for a smaller phoenix-enameled sconce.
Workshop Enterprise》。
These extremely rare sconces belong to the small group of Chinese
export porcelain wares whose unusual design is associated with
the Dutch draftsman Cornelis Pronk, although in the case of these
elaborate sconces the design is not yet actually documented as

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