Pair of Wrought Iron Two-Light Wall Sconces with Scroll and Fleur-de-Lys Backplate

Pair of two-light wrought iron wall sconces with elaborate scrollwork backplate and central fleur-de-lys motif. Wide circular drip-pans fitted for candles. French work. Circa 1950.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Période 1940–1950

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

This handsome pair of wrought iron wall sconces combines bold ironwork craftsmanship with a richly decorative aesthetic inspired by the Gothic and Renaissance revival traditions of French provincial furnishing. Each sconce is composed of an elaborate backplate of scrolled ironwork—S-scrolls and C-scrolls intertwining around a central fleur-de-lys or heraldic shield motif—from which extend two curved candleholder arms fitted with wide circular drip-pans.

The backplate, the dominant element of each piece, is a tour de force of the blacksmith’s art: the iron has been drawn, twisted, and curved into a complex interlacing composition that recalls the decorative ironwork of French Gothic architecture while also reflecting the influence of 19th-century historicist revival styles. The central fleur-de-lys adds a formal, heraldic accent of considerable decorative presence.

The candleholder arms curve outward symmetrically from the base of the backplate, each terminating in a wide, shallow drip-pan of circular form. The scale of the drip-pans suggests these sconces were designed for substantial candles, and when lit, the fixtures would cast dramatic, flickering shadows across the ironwork scrolls behind them.

A decorative and imposing pair, well suited to an interior in the rustic French, Gothic revival, or Provençal manner. In overall good condition with the patina of age appropriate to pieces of this character.

SIMILAR SELECTIONS