A pair of French bronze ‘Paul and Virginie’ candlesticks, circa 1830

An extremely unusual pair of three arm candlesticks, symbolising the story of ‘Paul and Virginie’, a popular romantic story from the late eighteenth century. This story is based on the famous book by Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, published in 1788. The story revolves around a brother and a sister from Mauritius The exotic appearance and dress of the two characters reflects the local traditions of French Mauritius, located off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. 

Candlesticks showing this story are difficult to find and the quality of the bronzes and gilding is of very high quality. The modelling of the costumes is beautifully executed. 

The unusual hexagonal bases, make these candlesticks even more desirable and collectable.