Chamber Candlestick
1780-1790 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The chamber candlestick, also known as a chamberstick, bedroom candlestick or hand candlestick, was intended to light the way indoors. This example consists of a pierced gallery with two rows of vertical slits and stars at the bottom. The handle has a flat thumb piece. Candles could be made of tallow (animal fat), beeswax or spermaceti (whale oil). Tallow was the cheapest of the three.
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 The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.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 The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.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 | |
| Materials and techniques | Sheffield plate |
| Brief description | Chamber candlestick, Sheffield plate, English, 1780-1790 |
| Physical description | The gallery pierced with two rows of vertical slits and the bottom with stars. Handle with flat thumb piece. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Credit line | The Wolseley Bequest |
| Production | Reason For Production: Retail |
| Summary | The chamber candlestick, also known as a chamberstick, bedroom candlestick or hand candlestick, was intended to light the way indoors. This example consists of a pierced gallery with two rows of vertical slits and stars at the bottom. The handle has a flat thumb piece. Candles could be made of tallow (animal fat), beeswax or spermaceti (whale oil). Tallow was the cheapest of the three. 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 The industry this material created flourished for about 100 years until superseded by electroplating in the 1840s.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.125-1920 |
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| Record created | September 23, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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