Just back with me from France, the pair you see here are extra large and beautifully crafted late 1800s Black Forest candle holders, each with a pair of exquisitely carved animals. The one has a pair of Chamois goats and the other a pair of mountain sheep. These are large at nearly a foot tall (11.5") and base is 7.25" x 5.5" oval. Very sturdy, large and perfect to make over into a pair of lamps. I've done it with several pairs of these. VERY easy to do, and the end result is truly magnificent. You need only a long drill bit, a steady hand, a lamp kid and harp/finial and a lamp shade of your choice. Takes about an hour to make them up. Truly a simple process. And this large set would be just stunning! Or, keep as they are and use for candles. They would have been carved as flanking ornament to a larger and surely opulent mantel clock, likely with carved hunter and his hounds. The old clock is easy to envision when you see quality carvings like these, but it has become damaged or separated (or both) in the century and a half since the artist carved them. These are from the Swiss carvers of the Black Forest regions, of course, and I do believe we have the best selection and collection of them anywhere. I hardly found any this last trip through France. I might own them all - or have sold them all to our collectors over the years. Love them!
Very good to excellent condition, slender legs undamaged. No age cracks to the wood. These are hand carved from a single piece of wood, each one. It truly is an art! There is a little loss to each one, notably part of the long thick curling horn on the ram, and a tip of the more slender chamois horn and one part of an ear. Those parts are always so fragile and are often lightly damaged. I can see also that one part of a carved leaf is missing - a little old glue residue makes it visible in our photos if you look - up hear the head of the ram, backside view. They hold a good sized taper, or glass epergne/flutes if you have a big pair, or they're best suited (in my opinion) to be made into lamps. I'm on the way to my home in the mountains later this week. If I can remember to, I'll add a photo of a pair of lamps I have in that home made from Black Forest candle stands. Don't leave these with me too long or they'll be in that house as another pair of magnificent lamps, you know. And I'm committed to down-sizing! Would that I could keep all the fabulous old treasures I find!
