Pair of 'lion-mask' candelabra

Ormolu, 1770, made by Matthew Boulton. For 200 years this rare and luxurious pair of candelabra was at Croxteth Hall, Liverpool, home of the Earls of Sefton. The 1st Earl bought them in 1772 for lighting his banquet table. The candelabra are made of ormolu; bronze covered with a thin layer of gold. They are in the neo-classical style, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman ruins discovered in the 18th century. Matthew Boulton made them at his Soho Manufactory in Birmingham, internationally renowned for the high quality of its metalwork.