Candlestick thumbnail 1
On display

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Candlestick

1823-1832 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
Before the 1780s candles made of tallow (animal fat), beeswax and spermaceti (sperm whale oil) were the chief source of artificial light. Even in the 19th century, with competition from oil lamps, gas and electricity, candles and candlesticks remained essential items used throughout the home and moved from room to room as light was required.

Materials & Making
The candlestick form was well suited to the technical innovation of die-stamping. This technique was essentially the production of relief decoration in thin sheet silver or Sheffield plate. To make candlesticks, the stamped sheets were trimmed, soldered together and filled with resin with the bases loaded to give stability. From the 1760s, when the imporvement of dies extended their usage to larger items such as candlesticks, a variety of motifs could be assembled in any number of combinations.

Design & Designing
The candlestick is decorated with shells, flowers, leaves and scrolls in an ornate, revived Rococo style.The Rococo was one of the most significant, and the earliest, of the 19th-century stylistic revivals. It was frequently referred to at the time as 'Louis XIV' ('Louis Quatorze') or 'Louis XV' ('Louis Quinze'), an indication of how little the distinction between late Baroque and Rococo was understood. Although loudly criticised as excessive and lacking in taste, by the Great Exhibition of 1851 Rococo was becoming the dominant style for commercial manufacturers.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Candlestick
  • Drip Pan
Materials and techniques
Silver, ornamented with relief die-stamping
Brief description
Candlestick, silver, stamped, England (Sheffield), mark of Fenton, Allanson and Machon, 1823-1832
Physical description
Silver, stamped and filled with pitch?
Dimensions
  • Height: 32.38cm
  • Width: 16.51cm
Dimensions checked: Registered Description; 04/10/1999 by JD
Style
Marks and inscriptions
(Fenton, Allanson and Machon: JF&Co; Candlesticks 1823-4: maker, sterling, duty, crown and date; Nozzles, 1831-2, same; Scratched: No.3 15-9 Oz 31, indecipherable letter)
Gallery label
(Pre-2000)
PAIR OF CANDLESTICKS, silver.
Maker's mark of Fenton Allanson & Machon.
Sheffield hall-mark for 1823-4 (candlesticks),
1831-2 (nozzles).
5719&a-1901.
(27/03/2003)
British Galleries:
The Rococo Revival style was a more decorative alternative to standard Regency Classicism. This candlestick was made in Sheffield, the city that was the leading producer of Rococo Revival silver and plate.
Object history
The Rococo was one of the most significant, and the earliest, of the 19th-century stylistic revivals. From its emergence in the 1820s and 30s, inspiration was drawn largely from France. It was frequently referred to at the time as "Louis Quatorze" or "Louis Quinze", an indication of how little the distinction between late Baroque and Rococo was understood. Although loudly criticised as excessive and lacking in taste, by the 1851 Great Exhibition it was the dominant international style for commercial manufacturers.

Neg._No: JE2924
CT: 38117
Production
Hallmarked for 1823-1824; nozzles for 1831-1832
Subject depicted
Summary
Object Type
Before the 1780s candles made of tallow (animal fat), beeswax and spermaceti (sperm whale oil) were the chief source of artificial light. Even in the 19th century, with competition from oil lamps, gas and electricity, candles and candlesticks remained essential items used throughout the home and moved from room to room as light was required.

Materials & Making
The candlestick form was well suited to the technical innovation of die-stamping. This technique was essentially the production of relief decoration in thin sheet silver or Sheffield plate. To make candlesticks, the stamped sheets were trimmed, soldered together and filled with resin with the bases loaded to give stability. From the 1760s, when the imporvement of dies extended their usage to larger items such as candlesticks, a variety of motifs could be assembled in any number of combinations.

Design & Designing
The candlestick is decorated with shells, flowers, leaves and scrolls in an ornate, revived Rococo style.The Rococo was one of the most significant, and the earliest, of the 19th-century stylistic revivals. It was frequently referred to at the time as 'Louis XIV' ('Louis Quatorze') or 'Louis XV' ('Louis Quinze'), an indication of how little the distinction between late Baroque and Rococo was understood. Although loudly criticised as excessive and lacking in taste, by the Great Exhibition of 1851 Rococo was becoming the dominant style for commercial manufacturers.
Collection
Accession number
5719:1, 2-1901

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Record createdMarch 28, 2003
Record URL
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