Niccolò Roccatagliata

(Genova, 1593 - Venezia, 1639)

School of

Fine pair of 17th-century gilt bronze candle holders with a base supported by three little satyrs. Seated on acanthus leaf volutes, the satyrs are connected by festoons composed of pearls and tassels with bows. The bobeche, shaped like a vase with three curled handles, features alternating cherub faces, volutes, and drapery.

Similar examples are typically attributed to the Renaissance Paduan school, specifically the workshop of Niccolò Roccatagliata, active throughout the 17th century. An identical decoration can be found on other objects produced by the same school such as inkwells (see Sotheby's, December 17, 2008, New York, USA).

Worth noting is the gilding, which is very well preserved and far from the bituminous or translucent patinas often associated with Renaissance production. This cliché is contradicted by many objects made by the examined school, the most famous being the "Kneeling Youth Holding a Shell" at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

An examination of the alloy would certainly provide further information about the amalgam of gilding which seems to be mercury-based. Among similar models, it is worth mentioning the pair of candle holders housed in the collection of the Miniscalchi-Erizzo Museum in Verona, also attributed to the school of Roccatagliata.