BY MATTHEW BOULTON, CIRCA 1770-71

THE DESIGN
The design of the present candle-vases show a much stronger French influence in its adherence to the principals of the prevailing Parisian goût grec than is generally found amongst Boulton's oeuvre. This is due in no small part to the fact that three of the key details are copied directly from the work of the Parisian bronzier Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813) who was a major exponent of the style. The block-mounted lions' masks, the cluster of lion's paws radiating from the socle and the ribbon-bound laurel border to the base all appear to be copied directly from the Parisian's work; furthermore on variants of this design where an additional plinth is present even the flower-filled entrelac border appears to be taken from him. Gouthière, who produced work for Marie Antoinette and the French Court, produced and signed several candlesticks displaying these features which survive today. It is likely that Boulton encountered Gouthière's work, and possibly even acquired a candlestick of this type, during his 1765 visit to Paris.

Among the earliest surviving examples of silver produced at the Soho manufactory are a group of six candlesticks (dated 1768-9) of near identical design to Gouthière's; Boulton later also produced the design in ormolu. Two ormolu candelabra of this type, originally supplied as part of a larger group to Lord Sefton, survive in the collections of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Interestingly, if coincidentally, while it would appear that Boulton was the first, he apparently was not the only, British smith to copy the designs of Gouthière as a group of four silver candelabra, with bases of this design, by the King's goldsmith Thomas Heming (dated 1774⁄75), remain in the collections at Harewood House.

'BINGLEY'S VASE'
Goodison suggests that this vase is probably the model which is often referred to in Boulton's papers as 'Bingley's vase', thought to have been named after the manager of the plated department, William Bingley. There were almost certainly vases of this type in Boulton's speculative sale at Christie's in 1771. A pair believed to be of this design was delivered to Sir Gregory Turner also in 1771, perhaps after he had seen them exhibited at Christie's, and others sold to Sir John Griffin (1771) and Mr. Thynne (1772), were they cost £15 15s 0d each. Also in 1772, a pair of 'lion faced' vases were loaned to Robert Child the banker while he waited upon the delivery of a pair of wing-figured vases.

At present, examples of the 'Bingley' design with some variation to the arms or plinth design include:
- A pair in the National Trust collection at Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire (NT 1270507.1 and .2). This pair has no candle-arms, and the ormolu plinths are inset with verre eglomise panels rather than blue john.

- A pair in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Nos. 55.148.1a-h and 55.148.2a-h) (also see: N. Goodison, Ormolu: The Work of Matthew Boulton, 1974, fig. 102). According to the Met, this pair belonged to Lady Bateman (d. 1919) of Oakley Hall, Eye, Suffolk; sold, Christie's, London, 10 July 1919, lot 63 (to E. Simmons); and was subsequently in the collection of Irwin Untermyer (d. 1973) until gifted to the museum in 1955.

- A pair from Harewood House, Yorkshire (with an un-looped pattern of arm and ebony plinths) which were probably inherited or acquired by H.R.H. The Princess Mary, Princess Royal, Countess of Harewood (d. 1965). These were later sold, Harewood: Collecting in the Royal Tradition; Christie's, London, 5 December 2012, lot 551 (£145,250).

- A pair of vases in the Royal Collection (RCIN 83) (also see: N. Goodison, Matthew Boulton: Ormolu, 2002, p. 290, fig. 246). This pair has no candle-arms, and the provenance states it was acquired by Queen Mary (d. 1953).

- A pair of vases sold from the collection of H.R.H. The Prince George, Duke of Kent; Christie, Manson & Wood, London, 12-14 March 1947, lot 311.

- A further pair was exhibited by H. Blairman & Sons, Ltd. at the Grosvenor House Antiques Fair, London, in 1961.

- Another pair, sold alongside the present pair by the same owner in the Sotheby's 5 June 2007 sale, lot 146 (£276,000 = $552,000) was bought by Ronald Phillips, London.

This pair of candle-vases, and its companion pair in the 2007 sale, was reputed to have come from the collection of Matthew White Ridley, 4th Viscount Ridley (d. 2012) Lord Ridley served in various capacities for the Royal Family, most notably as Lord Steward of the Household from 1998-2001. His mother was the daughter of the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens.