French Restauration Cupid Candlesticks from Melba Collection

• Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
• Restauration Period - The Restauration period in French history refers to the years from 1815 to 1830. It followed the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte and the end of the Napoleonic Wars. During the Restauration, the Bourbon monarchy was restored to power in France with Louis XVIII as king. This period was characterized by a conservative and reactionary political climate, as the monarchists sought to undo the liberal and republican ideals of the French Revolution. The Restauration also saw the rise of industrialization and the growth of a middle class in France.
• Cupid Motif - The Cupid motif, which features the Roman god of love and desire, Cupid, was a popular decorative element in classical ornamentation. Cupid was often depicted as a winged, naked baby with a bow and arrow, and was often used to symbolize love and desire.
  
  In classical art and architecture, Cupid motifs were often used as decorative elements on furniture, such as on the legs of chairs and tables, as well as on architectural elements such as friezes and pediments. They were also used as decorative elements in frescoes, mosaics, and other forms of art.
  
  During the Renaissance, Cupid motifs were often incorporated into the decoration of palaces, churches and other grand buildings, as they were seen as symbols of love and fertility. Cupid motifs were also commonly used in the decorative arts of the Baroque period, often appearing in the form of putti, which are small winged cherub figures.
  
  In addition to their decorative use, Cupid motifs were also believed to hold symbolic meaning, as they were thought to evoke feelings of love, desire, and fertility.
• Socle - The short plinth, usually cylindrical, that serves as a pedestal for a sculpture or vase

This item has been included into following indexes:

• candlesticks, material - ormolu and bronze 181
• Melba, Dame Nellie (Australia) - property from the collection of Dame Nellie 141