AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE PAIR OF FIVE-LIGHT REGENCY GILT-BRASS AND CUT-GLASS TABLE CANDELABRA ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN BLADES

June 10 2009, 4:29pm

English. Circa 1820. John Blades was a leading glassmaker of the early 19th century. He was active from 1783, when he opened his shop at 5 Ludgate Hill, London, until his death in 1829. Known as the “great glass man of Ludgate-hill,” Blades specialized in chandeliers and candelabra of superior quality. His clientele included the Second Earl Grosvenor and the Draper's Company, a prestigious livery company in London, and in 1789 he was appointed Cut Glass Manufacturer to his Majesty, George III. A print from Ackerman's Repository of the Arts depicts the Ludgate Hill showroom filled to capacity, and includes a candelabrum comparable to the present pair. They combine Blades’ characteristic design elements to produce an exquisite example of a lighting style popularized during the Regency period in England. The present candelabra are probably the largest of this type.