Candlestick, cast and turned brass, openwork crenellation around shoulder, Turkey, c.1500-1600

Candlestick, brass, cast and turned, ornamented with bands and a border, serrated and pierced

Bought from the collection of Gaston de Saint-Maurice (1831-1905) in 1884. Saint-Maurice displayed his extensive art collection at the 1878 Paris exhibition, in a gallery entitled L'Egypte des Khalifes. This was part of an official sequence of displays celebrating the history of Egypt, presented by the Egyptian state at this international event. Saint-Maurice held a position at the Khedival court, and had lived in Cairo in 1868-1878. Following the exhibition, Saint-Maurice offered his collection for sale to the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A).

From the 14th until the 17th centuries, brass candlesticks appeared in all but the most prosperous houses, and were made in forms peculiar to the material. Socketed candlesticks made their appearance in the late 13th century and thereafter became relatively common, replacing the earlier pricket form, at least for domestic use. This 16th century Turkish brass example is ornamented with bands and a border and is also serrated and pierced.

931-1884