A Renaissance Revival Torchière, Now Mounted as a Floor Lamp

Parts Probably 18th, 19th and 20th Centuries

The tripartite base with lion's paw feet supporting a turned, tapering standard supporting faux-candle top.

Height overall 61 3/4 inches.

From the Collection of Nelson R. DeMille

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Size
Height overall 61 3/4 inches.

Condition
Redecorated overall with several layers of gesso, bole and gilding. The tripartite base likely 18th century and with insect holes, splits to the wood, and surface losses, revealing gesso and yellow bole beneath. The turned standard also with some splits and abrasions to wood and with areas of rubbing revealing red bole and gesso beneath. The faux candle uppermost portion 20th century and added on when the whole was drilled as a lamp. Losses, flaking and discoloration to the faux candle. Lamp not tested for working order. Height of the giltwood portion 40 inches. Width of the base 10 inches.

Provenance
Freeman’s is honored to present the private collection of the celebrated novelist Nelson R. DeMille. A proud Long Island resident and U.S. Army veteran, DeMille’s first major novel, By the Rivers of Babylon, was published in 1978 and over the following decades, he authored more than thirty novels and short stories. His celebrated John Corey series, launched with Plum Island in 1997, became a mainstay of modern thriller fiction, while The General’s Daughter achieved additional acclaim through its major film adaptation starring John Travolta.Warm, incisive, and unfailingly generous with his time, DeMille was an active and beloved presence within the Authors Guild community for more than forty years and served as president of the Mystery Writers of America. An advocate to all, his passing marked the loss of not only a master storyteller, but a tireless mentor and champion of writers’ and their rights.The collection presented here reflects the discernment, curiosity, and richly lived life of a man whose stories defined a genre. We are pleased to offer collectors this unique opportunity to acquire works from the personal world of Nelson R. DeMille—objects that accompanied one of America’s great literary voices throughout a remarkable career.We invite you to explore these pieces—not merely as objects of provenance, but as elements of a distinctive story: the life and legacy of Nelson R. DeMille.