977 - A pair of late antique bronze candelabra, 5th–6th century

A pair of late antique bronze candelabra, 5th–6th century Two identically designed candelabra from a matching pair. Technical and stylistic features clearly date the pair to Late Antiquity. A solidly cast, upwardly curved base with three highly stylized animal feet splayed outward. The rim of the base at the base of the animal feet is profiled (a wave crest flanked by two wave troughs that merge into small protruding points at the edge), with coarse notches in between. There are turned grooves on the lower and upper parts of the arch. In the center of the arch is a cylindrical upper section with concave sides. The lower part of a two-part bronze column is soldered to this cast, turned, and cold-finished base. The lower section is heavily profiled, with a pronounced bead between two conical sections that taper toward the bead; the surface is further divided by turned grooves. Above this is a long, cylindrical column section, decorated in the lower and upper halves by two flat, profiled bands. A bead featuring spiral grooves, with short tubes at its upper and lower ends, is fitted onto the end of the lower half of the column and soldered in place, thereby connecting the lower and upper halves of the column. The upper half of the column is mirror-symmetrically identical in construction to the lower half. At the bottom, the upper half of the column fits into the central bead; at the top is a similarly constructed, heavily profiled section to which a solid bronze plate was soldered (now loose in both cases), featuring an upward-stepped rim and several concentric spiral grooves. Soldered to the center of the plate is an openwork finial with a square plan, which can be interpreted as an architectural model: a canopy resting on four pillars with curved cutouts beneath the pyramid-shaped roof structure. The tip of the roof tapers into a cone, to which a solid, long, square-shaped spike with a conical profile at the lower end is soldered. Total height 141 cm. Width of the base from foot to foot 32 cm. Diameter of the plate 22.8 cm. Weight: 20 kg. The ancient solder joints are loose or have been modernized with adhesive. Dark green patina with incrustations and slight signs of corrosion in various places, with partial layers of oxide. Large bronze oil lamps, which had square sockets on their undersides for attachment, were likely mounted on the square spindles. Similar designs are known from numerous small candelabra of the same period with matching oil lamps. In this monumental size, these early Byzantine candelabra are an absolute rarity. PLEASE NOTE: Pickup only, or please request a shipping quote before the auction! CULTURAL HERITAGE! Provenance: From a private collection in southern Germany, inherited in the early 2000s from the father, who died in 2013. Condition: II - III