Pair of candlesticks. Platero Lefebvre. 1814-1831.

Pair of candlesticks. Platero LEFEBVRE. Tournai, Belgium. 1814-1831.
Silver.
With hallmarks.
Weight: 2040 gr. and 2080 gr.
Measurements: 67 x 25 x 25 cm.

Pair of punched silver candlesticks, an exquisite manufacture of the Lefebvre family of silversmiths. They consist of six lights each one and are chiseled and embossed with greca of foliage, vegetable sheaths, mascarons and feminine winged busts in stipes that support the lampshades. Scrolls and scrolls complete the decoration. These designs are inspired by Greek and Roman themes, such as grotesques and caryatids, in accordance with the dominant neoclassical taste of the nineteenth-century nobility.

The Lefebvre family was a dynasty of silversmiths active since the 17th century, renowned for their exquisite mastery in the creation of high quality silver objects. They worked for prominent members of the European nobility, including the Prince de Merode, one of the most influential noble families in Belgium and Germany. Their work ranged from ceremonial pieces to everyday objects, always maintaining a high artistic standard. The Lefebvre genealogy includes Jacques Lefebvre-Caters, a prominent goldsmith from Tournai, known for his artistic skill and association with important families and projects in the region during the change from the 18th to the 19th century. Jacques excelled in his field after completing studies in Paris, where he won first prize at that city's Academy of Fine Arts in 1771. Throughout his career, he produced a wide variety of goldsmith pieces, including cafetières, sucriers and luxury items, in addition to working as an art bronze artist. He also excelled in the creation of busts and decorative objects in gilded bronze. Throughout his life, Lefebvre-Caters worked for the European nobility, with pieces that reached various royal courts. He was also associated with the Manufacture Royale de Tapis de Tournai, one of the great tapestry factories of the region, and his workshop produced ecclesiastical elements such as candelabras, tabernacles and relics that adorned churches in and around Tournai. When he died in 1810, his wife continued the business, and his legacy lasted until the 1820s. The Lefebvre-Caters family left an important mark on the goldsmith and craftsmanship of the Tournai region, especially in the context of the manufacture of luxury objects for the nobility and the church.