Pair of Antique Patinated Brass Wall Sconces, Dolphin Backplate Two-Arm — France, 19th Century

The dolphin has carried decorative meaning in European ornament since antiquity — a symbol drawn from classical mythology, associated with safe passage and swiftness, and a favoured motif for the scrolled brackets and mounts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Applied to a wall sconce, the dolphin's curved body and open jaw made a natural bracket form, the fish appearing to emerge from the wall itself to hold the candle arms aloft.

This pair is French, nineteenth century, in patinated brass, each sconce built around a circular backplate from which a dolphin figure projects, its curved tail and open-mouthed head forming the visual anchor of the piece. Two scrolled arms rise from the body, each terminating in a gadrooned socket collar and drip pan — note how the arms differ slightly in their curve from sconce to sconce, the kind of individual hand-finishing that distinguishes genuine period casting from a mechanically duplicated modern pair. The brass carries a deep, even patina across both pieces, darker in the recesses of the dolphin modelling and lighter along the raised curves of the body.

The brass is sound across the pair, the dolphin figures and arm scrollwork crisp throughout. Both sconces have been fitted with new wiring and are ready to use. Whoever lit their rooms with these before you kept both pieces in matched condition. They are ready for a dining room, a hallway, or either side of a fireplace.

They arrive professionally packed and fully insured. All duties and import charges are our responsibility — you pay nothing beyond the listed price. Returns are accepted within 30 days.

DETAILS:
Size: each — Height 30 cm (11.8 in) · Width 28 cm (11 in) · Depth 15 cm (5.9 in) · Backplate width 8.7 cm (3.4 in)
Material: patinated brass
Style/Period: French, 19th century
Sockets: two per sconce, four total — new wiring fitted, ready to use
Lampshades: not included
Shipping: professionally packed, fully insured, worldwide — all import duties paid by us, nothing to settle on delivery
Condition: very good antique condition; deep even patina throughout; dolphin and scrollwork detail crisp
Returns: accepted within 30 days

Read our condition standard. Please ask if you need additional photographs or measurements.

Worldwide delivery is included in the price. Every piece is individually packed, tracked and fully insured. No shipping charge is added at checkout. If your destination is not listed, please contact us before ordering.

Maison Jaspers pays US tariffs and import duties. For other destinations, local import taxes and duties may apply and are payable by the recipient. Contact us before ordering if you need destination-specific guidance.

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Delivery information

Notify us within 30 days of delivery if you wish to return a piece. No reason is required. You pay return shipping for a change-of-mind return.

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