Pair of candlesticks

Derby porcelain, Derby-Chelsea period, between 1770 and 1775.

This ensemble is sometimes called "Liberty and Marriage".

The items are visible in a photograph taken at the end of the 19th century in the library of Kilkenny castle, placed on the mantelpiece. They are also described very closely in an inventory of a London residence of the family dating from the start of the 20th century.

William Duesbury (1725-1786) was the founder of the Derby porcelain manufactory (Derbyshire, England). In 1769, he acquired the famous Chelsea manufactory and directed it until his death. The pieces made by the two factories between 1770 and 1784 are highly similar, giving rise to the name "Derby-Chelsea period". The tints of the Jehay ensemble allow a more specific attribution to the Derby manufactory.  

An identical group is exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Arts (Ohio, United States).