The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 26, 2024

Pair of Candelabra

Pair of Candelabra

c. 1790–95

Did You Know?

Decorative works in steel like this pair of candelabra were made by gun makers in the town of Tula, Russia, to impress the empress, Catherine the Great.

Description

Founded in 1705 by Peter the Great, the armory at Tula developed steadily over the 18th century to become the center of Russian metalworking, especially in arms manufacturing. In the 1770s and 1780s, Catherine the Great took
a keen interest in the work produced there, sending several of the most proficient craftsmen to England to study the decorative application of steel in armories in Sheffield and London. Subsequently, the Tula artisans surpassed the metalworkers in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, producing decorative wares that were as precious and precise as their brilliantly embellished firearms. Empress Catherine was so pleased that she commissioned diplomatic and royal gifts of Tula ware as well as several noted examples of furniture in the distinctive Tula style of cut steel, gilt-bronze, silver, and gold.

The most recognizable characteristic of Tula ware was the use of beads of steel that replicated faceted diamonds and crystals. No other region was able to achieve the vividness of this technique in cut steel. Most works in Tula steel were small and precious such as inkstands, bobbin holders, buttons, footstools, single candlesticks, etc. These candelabra typify the Neoclassical taste in Russia during the late 1700s, a significant moment in Russian design because of the mature level of craftsmanship and style.
  • Private Collection (Hotel Druot, Paris, Piasa, 18 June 1999).
    Kraemer Family Collection (Kraemer & Cie, Paris).
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, "Cleveland Museum of Art Announces Newest Acquisitions," September 7, 2010, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    Negrotti, Rosanna. "Acquisition of the Year." Apollo: The International Magazine for Collectors. V. CLXXII, no. 582 (December 2010). Mentioned & reproduced: p. 42, fig. 9
    Harrison, Stephen. "Museum Accessions: Cleveland Museum of Art." Antiques (Jan/Feb 2011). Mentioned: p. 82
    Franklin, David, and C. Griffith Mann. Treasures from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with, New York, NY: Scala Publishers, 2012. Mentioned & reproduced: pp. 222-223 library.clevelandart.org
    "Recent acquisitions (2005-11) at the Cleveland Museum of Art." The Burlington Magazine 1312, no.154 (July 2012): 525-32. Mentioned & reproduced: p. 530, fig. XIII
    Bidwell, Frederick E., and Leslie Cade. The CMA Companion: A Guide to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art in association with New York, NY: Scala Arts Publishers, 2014. Mentioned & reproduced: p. 138
  • No existing exhibition history.
  • {{cite web|title=Pair of Candelabra|url=false|author=|year=c. 1790–95|access-date=26 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2010.2