William Cafe

A fine pair of George III sterling silver candlesticks by the celebrated London silversmith William Cafe, hallmarked for London, 1762. Each candlestick stands on a shaped square base with incurved sides, lavishly cast and chased with exuberant rococo scrolls, shells, flowering sprays and foliate ornament. The elegant baluster stems are richly decorated with acanthus and floral motifs, rising to tulip-form sockets with their original detachable shaped nozzles. The crisp modelling, deeply cast decoration and refined proportions are hallmarks of Café's exceptional craftsmanship.

Produced at the height of the English Rococo period, these candlesticks exemplify the sculptural quality and technical excellence for which William Cafe is renowned. One of the foremost specialist makers of silver candlesticks in mid-18th-century London, Cafe created pieces of remarkable elegance that remain among the finest made in the mid 18th century. Both highly decorative and of significant historical importance, this pair represents an outstanding example of English silver from the early years of George III's reign.