Bougeoir Mouchette et Porte Mouchette, Plateau avec bougeoir et paire de mouchettes, (1730-1735), 6th Plate
Classification
metalwork
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-212-26-b
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Juste-Aurèle Meissonnier (1695–1750), a visionary Italian-born French designer, goldsmith, and architect, created *Bougeoir Mouchette Porte Mouchette, Plateau bougeoir et paire dechettes* (c. 1730–1735; dated 1740) during the height of the Rococo era. This exquisite metalwork piece, the "6th Plate" from a series of designs, features a candle holder (bougeoir), snuffers (mouchette and a matching tray—elegant tools for tending candle flames in opulent 18th-century interiors. Meissonnier's flair for asymmetry, scrolling motifs, and playful ornamentation epitomized Rococo's shift from Baroque gran...