Torchères were generally made in pairs, and this example has been identified as the matching partner (formerly assumed lost) to the rosewood candlestand now in the collection of Fairfax House. The Fairfax House torchère was acquired by the collector Noel Terry from the London dealer Mallet in 1944, so the pair must have been separated before this date.

Terry (of the Terry’s chocolate family) built his nationally significant collection of Georgian furniture and clocks between 1918 and 1980. On his death it was given to York Civic Trust and is now housed in the Georgian rooms at the Fairfax House museum.

Both tray tops show the same colour loss, likely from light exposure during their time together in the same environmental conditions. They are now reunited as part of Fairfax House’s scholarly displays of 18th-century furniture and interiors.

Provenance

The Candlestand has been in the ownership of private vendor for many years (20/30 years) but its provenance prior to this is unknown. It seems likely it must have been separated from its pair before 1944, which is when Noel Terry bought his (NT19