Candlestick (one of a pair)
England
1890-1940
Measurements
12-1/8 in (without electrification) x 4-1/2 in x 4-1/2 in
Materials
Brass
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, gift of H. Rodney Sharp
Accession Number
1959.3712
Condition Notes
The candlesticks have been electrified. In addition, their bases have beads of solder added to each corner to raise them to allow an electric wire to pass underneath. In addition, and perhaps part of an earlier electrication campaign, they have a redundant wire hole in the base.
Provenance
Ex coll. H. Rodney Sharp
Comments
This pair of candlesticks, made in what is generally considered a neoclassical or Adamesque design, has shafts that taper towards the stepped, square base. The shafts support a candle socket and integral bobeche.
Design and construction details of these sticks indicate that they were made much later than the late-18th-century time period of the original sources. In addition to heavy casting, the parts that make up each candlestick have seams or edges in awkward places. Notably, there is a parts seam near the top of the base that cuts across what should be a smooth section. The decorative details on the candlesticks are excessive, in what is a classic manner of creating a style: there is simply too much detail. The base has four separate beaded moldings where two suffice. There is also bead molding immediately below the base of the tapered shaft, along the shaft corners, and two more above the shaft. Also, the element immediately above the tapered shaft tapers in and out in an atypical manner. Last, the rim of the bobeche or drip pan has a complexly molded edge.
