Italian Pair of 18th Century Religious Incense Torches

This towering pair of French 19th century altar torches are made from sturdy wood and metal. Raised gilt brass ornamentation of cherubs and the initials IHS, a Christogram to symbolize the name of Jesus, grace the top of the polished brass diffusers. At one time these would have been lit by fire, now they have been cleaned and rewired to US electrical standards with UL listed parts to function as wall sconces. The torches are essentially two distinct halves: reeded brass columns of the upper body attach to the wooden post...

A pair of heavy brass candlesticks from the 1800’s have a rich, smooth patina. Primitive in design with large candle spikes for pillar wax candles. View all the detailed images to se...

A glorious pair of Italian giltwood altar candlesticks from the 1500’s; equally impressive is that this hand-carved pair have stayed together for over 400 years. Gold and silver gilt...

A pair of solid brass Flemish candlesticks from the 1600’s. This outstanding pair of candlesticks have stayed together for over 400 years. Be sure ...

An exceptional and stunning pair of 17th century Piques Cierges from the Tuscan region of Italy. Magnificently constructed from hand forged iron with silver giltwood decorative bunc...

A large pair of candlesticks made of cast bronze and marble. Impressive design.

We kindly suggest that you read the entire description, as with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to ensure the authenticity of our objects. Peculiar, rare, and antique pair of Italian altar candlesticks in the shape of a torch; they were made completely by the technique of manual turning, a special way of working that allows the objects to have a rounded shape: the piece of wood rotates with the aid of the lathe, while the craftsman uses special tools called "gouges" to shape and decorate its surface; they were then painted with a pasty gray-white varnish, which over time has taken on the craquelure effect; on the wooden structure we did not, therefore, consider doing any restoration because its veiled patina and imperfections make it truly alluring and fascinating and attest to its antiquity and authenticity; at the top of each one is a metal "bobeche" of shaped leaves made to hold large candles; when, in more recent times, they were electrified, a candle-shaped lamp holder was applied; the base is made of three lion's paws in cast bronze. They were produced in a craft workshop in the province of Lucca (Tuscany, Italy) between 1830 and 1835; the area was famous for producing liturgical furnishings of all kinds. The master craftsman was inspired by ancient medieval torch...

Sourced in Normandy, France, this magnificent pair of antique, French, bronze, ecclesiastical processional torches certainly make an impression. The detail of the filigree work aroun...