CANDLESTICKS THE DEVIL AND THE WITCH

Rare and spectacular pair of bronze candlesticks, resting on circular black marble bases. These pieces combine decorative craftsmanship with allegorical imagination, reflecting the period’s fascination with occultism and the supernatural.

The first candlestick depicts a witch, wrapped in a long cloak and holding a staff. A serpent coils around her arm and chest, accentuating her menacing character. At her feet stand two highly symbolic creatures: an owl, a nocturnal messenger associated with occult sciences and black magic, and a salamander, a mythical animal linked to fire and traditionally associated with infernal forces and alchemy.

The second candlestick represents the Devil, immediately recognizable by his horns and his cloak thrown over his shoulders. His slender body and his face with an ironic expression give him a theatrical and sinister appearance. At his feet, a serpent climbs along a column, while a black bird, probably a raven, pecks at the ground — all symbols of death, temptation, and corruption.

While representations of the Devil are not rare in 19th-century bronzes, representations of witches are on the other hand extremely rare, especially when treated with such a degree of detail and realism. The association of both figures in the same pair gives this ensemble a remarkable uniqueness and evocative power, making it much more than mere decorative objects: a true manifesto of the esoteric imagination of the 19th century.

The expressiveness of the figures, the precision of the chiseling, the richness of the symbolism (owl, salamander, serpent, raven), and the fine original patina make this pair an exceptional curiosity, worthy of the finest collections dedicated to Gothic art, dark Romanticism, and fantastic iconography.

PERIOD : 19th century
DIMENSION : 28 cm
SIZE : 11"