Candlestick
Birmingham, England
1770-1820
Maker
Shaw, possibly William Shaw (working after 1765)
Measurements
7-3/8 in x 4-7/8 in (dia)
Materials
Sheet iron
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3804
Inscription
“SHAW” is stamped into the top of the thumbpiece.
Condition Notes
A small hole drilled in the base indicates that this candlestick was formerly electrified.
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
The tall cylindrical shaft, slotted along the seam for the handle of the side ejector, attaches to the domed base with a square nut over a bolt, forming the candlestick. (For an image of this construction, see accession no. 1959.3731.) The drip pan soldered in place at the top, to catch candle drippings, has a hook or finger tab. This form of candlestick is popularly called a "hog scraper," a term derived from the base, which looks similar to tools used to remove hog bristles from pig skins.
For another Shaw candlestick, see accession no. 1959.3805. Other candlesticks of this type are marked Shaw, followed by "BIRMm," designated Birmingham, England, a supplier of all kinds of metalwares to Europe and the United States.
