Gilt bronze candlestick — Georges Mathias for Fondica — circa 1980

Sculptural gilt bronze candlestick by Georges Mathias for Fondica, characteristic of the organic and expressive work of the second half of the twentieth century. The piece is distinguished by a free vertical composition, evoking a stylised plant or coral form. The shaft unfolds in successive outgrowths with sinuous, dynamic lines, creating a particularly vibrant interplay of shadows and reliefs. The widely splayed tripod base ensures stability whilst prolonging this biomorphic aesthetic. The gilding presents a depth and brilliance that magnify the asperities of the bronze. It is a piece of character, at once primitive and extremely refined.