Pair of Chinese cloisonné enamel candlesticks

Each candlestick in the pair is wrought to resemble a mythical Chinese beast, whose form takes the body of an elephant and the head of a traditional Chinese dragon. This beast, which stands on a wooden base, is profusely adorned with polychrome cloisonné enamels above a red-brown enamel ground, with parcel gilt accents and enamel jewelling. The cloisons have been wrought into a variety of forms, including flying cranes, flowers, and various abstracted scrolls. From the back of each beast rises the shaped candle stem, with a two-tier drip pan and a mount for a single candle at top. Like the body below, the stem is profusely adorned with cloisonné enamelwork.