Object of the Day: An Antique Figural Brass Candelabra

This cheerful cherub holds two candles aloft, and has done so since the 1870’s. French in origin, he is cast in brass and retains much of his original gleam. Such candleholders were produced for import to other parts of Europe. This one ended up in England where it was purchased amongst a crate of antiques and brought to Texas.


Brass items such as this one were meant to simulate the look of costly bronze and ormolu pieces and were welcomed into the homes of working class families who had the taste, but not the financial means to outfit their abodes with the same materials that were used by the nobility. And, so, almost a century and a half later, he’s still supporting two candles, happily perched upon a papier mache torchere. This time around, he’ll be free from the dripping of hot wax. Those candles have been in there for almost ten years, and I can’t see any reason to light them.