GOLD DRAGON WALL SCONCE AND VDG-3

This model is a bold fusion of a floral-inspired sconce—typical of the early 18th century and the Louis XV style—and an Asian-inspired dragon. It consists of a base from which three arms extend, mimicking foliage intertwined with leaves, surmounted by a star-shaped flower-like cup bearing a lampshade resembling a Constance Spry rose. This part of the wall sconce can be compared to pieces in the Louvre’s collection dating from 1740, as well as to designs created by Besniers and Roettiers in 1740 for the Petite Galerie at Versailles. The three arms, however, are less sinuous than their Rococo counterparts, in order to contrast with the dragon’s body coiling around them. The dragon winds itself around the foliage, highlighted by the contrast between its green hue and the gold of the rest of the bronze wall sconce.