Huguenot silver surfaces in Surrey

We recently collected this handsome pair of George II cast silver candlesticks by the important Huguenot silversmith Ayme Videau. They are hallmarked for London 1743 and weigh an impressive 57 oz.

Videau specialised in this flamboyant rococo style which was so fashionable at the time. He was apprenticed to David Willaume in 1723 and gained his freedom in 1733. Some of his work is in the collection of the V & A.

So why did so many Huguenots come to England? Well it all came about when Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685 (which had given religious freedom to French protestants). So to avoid persecution in Catholic France a flood of Huguenot refugees travelled across Europe to places where they could practise their religion in safety, with a lot ending up in London.

The candlesticks will come up for auction very soon with a guide price of £3000 – 5000. Fingers crossed for a good result.