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Candlestick
Carter, John - Enlarge image
Candlestick
- Place of origin:
Sheffield, England (made)
- Date:
1776-1777 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Carter, John (maker)
- Materials and Techniques:
Silver, die-stamped and soldered
- Credit Line:
Bequeathed by R. J. Dyson, Esq.
- Museum number:
M.23 toC-1943
- Gallery location:
Silver, room 65, case 14, shelf 1 [Candlestick [1], Driptray, Candlestick [3], Nozzle]
Silver Discovery Area, room 66, case 5 [Candlestick [2]]
These candlesticks bear the mark of John Carter II, a London silversmith who specialised almost exclusively in candlesticks and salvers. He entered his first mark in 1776, the year these candlesticks were made but earlier also supplied his products to the celebrated workshop of John Parker and Edward Wakelin.
The candlesticks show also that although the silver trade was threatened by the manufacturers of cheaper substitutes, it also benefitted from their technologies. Before the late 18th century the decoration on these candlesticks would have been either chased on (pressed into shape using a fine tool called a burin) which was time consuming, or cast in a thickier gauge of silver, which was expensive. Here the candlesticks have been made using technology developed by the makers of Sheffield Plate and the sides of the candlesticks and the panels of the base have been stamped in the same shaped die four times and then soldered together. The technology was expensive, but once installed could rapidly increase productivity.
