Candelabrum Pair

Although the branches of this pair follow the Rococo style, the stems are symmetrical and subdued. This more classical approach is typical of French taste of the period; by the 1760s, rocaille—asymmetrical ornament based on natural rock formations, seashells, and scrolls—became outdated. François Thomas Germain came from a family of Parisian goldsmiths. He and his father, Thomas Germain, held titles of royal goldsmiths, supplying silver for the French court and other European aristocrats. This pair of candelabra was part of the Parisian Service, an enormous silver dinner set commissioned by Empress Elisabeth of Russia.