Taper Stand
ca. 1820 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A taper stand, or wax jack, is a device to hold a turpentined wax taper upright while burning. With this example, the coiled taper is wrapped around the vertical post with one end held in the horizontal snuffers, which are two semi-circular blades. The wax taper was used mainly for melting sealing wax and for lighting candles, tobacco pipes etc., and not as a source of illumination.
Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.
Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Sheffield plate |
| Brief description | English, about 1820.; Sheffield plate English, about 1820.; Sheffield plate |
| Physical description | Taper is quilled around a horizontal cross-bar and passes through a nozzle which is held by two curved supports to one of which is hooked a chained extinguisher. Circular base with angular handle: four ball feet. Decorated with bands of stamped gadroons and shells. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Credit line | Mrs M. D. Chaplin Gift |
| Production | Reason For Production: Retail |
| Summary | A taper stand, or wax jack, is a device to hold a turpentined wax taper upright while burning. With this example, the coiled taper is wrapped around the vertical post with one end held in the horizontal snuffers, which are two semi-circular blades. The wax taper was used mainly for melting sealing wax and for lighting candles, tobacco pipes etc., and not as a source of illumination. Sheffield plate originated, with the discovery in 1742, that bars of silver and copper, in unequal proportions, fused by heating under pressure, could be rolled into sheets of laminated metal and worked like silver. The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.641-1936 |
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| Record created | September 17, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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