Artifact: Pair of candlesticks
Materials: Brass
Dimensions: H: 7 3/4 in.
Date: 1750-1770
Origin: Probably made in England
Collection: MetMuseum
License: OASC
Ledger Entry: Brass Candlesticks
Department: Household
Customer: Major John Carlyle
Ledger Page: 294
Imported From: Local silversmiths manufactured candlesticks, however they were also imported from England.
Product Description
In the eighteenth century, candlesticks were an essential part of daily life. As such, they vastly ranged in style and material. Elegant candlesticks of gold or silver served as ostentatious displays of wealth. The styles set in these were also copied in less expensive materials such as pewter and brass. Occasionally ceramic workshops emulated the styles of metal prototypes with varying degrees of success, while others focused on function. The most practical and modest consisted of squat candlesticks on a wide base with a loop for carrying made of coarse earthenware.
Citation: Ivor Noël Hume. A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001), 93-98.;
Historical Price: 6 shillings per pair; Modern USD: $67.3
Product Variations
The databases record twenty-four purchases of candlesticks. Most of these were sold in pairs, although some were sold individually. The qualifiers used to describe the candlesticks were brass, iron, and Japanned. Their prices ranged from seven pence for a pair of candlesticks to twelve shillings nine pence for a pair of brass candlesticks.
