A SET OF SIX CANDLESTICKS
4 Amsterdam, 1731 by Francois Lambrechts
2 Amsterdam 1765 by Jan D. Pont
Height: 21.7 cm
Ex. Col. W.J.R. Dreesmann. Catalogue de Feu M- W.J.R. Dreesmann, Amsterdam, Frederik Muller & Cie, 22 march 1960, lot 174, illustrated, and sold for Fl. 11.500, — to Nijstad Antiquairs Lochem/The Hague.
Each on a square base with incurved anglesfour scroll feet terminating in acantus leaves, a knobbed octagonal and baluster shaped stem with four stylised acantus leaves, the octagonal socket decorated with four tassels.
Francois lambrechts from Amsterdam made the earliest candlesticks of the present set in 1731 In 1765 Jan Diederik Pont added two candlesticks. In order to make a set of six, Pont copied one of Lambrechts’candlesticks.
Francois Lambrechts was born in 1696 as the son of Salomon Lambrechts and Sarah de Goyer and became silversmith in 1720 in the same year he married Johanna Dutoit. Francois lambrechts died in 1751. He is principally known to have made candlesticks and coffee-pots.
Jan Diederik Pont was born in Bremen (Germany) in 1701 and died in Amsterdam in 1767. He was apprenticed to Johann Gradfenstein in Bremen between 1713 and 1719. From 26 april 1729 onwards he worked as a silversmith in Amsterdam. In 1731 he marries Maria van Rixtel. His som Willem Pont, became silversmith in Amsterdam in 1755. Pont was a maker of services and flatware Het is known to have made candlesticks, sweatmeatbaskets, tobacco boxes, fish-trowels and table-bells.
Large sets of matching candlesticks from the first half of the 18th century are extremely rare, even if we include sets with different date letters. There is a set from 1734 made by Pieter de Keen which is now in the collection of the Amsterdam Museum. There is a set of four candlesticks by Jean du Vignon III dated 1726 ( sold Christies Amsterdam 1996) and a set of six matching candlesticks by the Groningen silversmith Johannes Dronrijp, dated 1717-1718. A set by Amsterdam silversmith Jacobus Rensing dated 1756 was sold in Christie’s Amsterdam in december 2000.
The present candlesticks are mentioned by Elias Voet in Amsterdamsche Goud- en Zilversmeden. The four candlesticks by Francois lambrechts are mentioned under 1731 p. 121. The two candlesticks by Pont are mentioned under 1740, p. 125. In the latter case Voet probably was wrong, for the Town mark of Amsterdam does not seem to fit in series of early 1740s. However, the town mark would perfectly match the series used between 1762 and 1765.
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