Judith Miller on collecting candlesticks and candelabra

Take inspiration from the past and let your festive table glow by candlelight with an antique set of candlesticks or a candelabrum. Antiques expert Judith Miller explains what to look for when buying antique candle holders.

ABOVE (left-right): Pair of 19th century bronze candelabra, £1,800-£2,200; 19th century reeded mahogany candlestick with brass sconce (one of a pair), £150-£200; Electroplated 55in tall altar candlestick (one of a pair) with paw feet, £2,000-£2,500.

Historically, as a public room that reflected the status of the owner, importance was attached to the decoration and furnishing of the dining room; and at Christmas today we still enjoy making sure this room is beautifully decorated for family and friends.

If you’re looking for an heirloom piece, consider table settings from the past to create an impressive backdrop for your festive meals; and remember that nothing evokes the ambience of a period interior as much as candlelight.

Throughout the 19th century, lighting levels were much lower than they are today and many households relied entirely on illumination afforded by candles and oil lamps. Even after the introduction of mains-supplied gas, which was rare in domestic settings until the mid 19th century – and decades later, electricity – candles were used for their soft, warm radiance. In terms of style of decoration and subsequently designs of accessories, including candleholders, there were three significant stages during the 19th century.

ABOVE (left-right): Louis XVI-style cassolette (one of a similar pair), £800-£1,200; 18th century octagonal pewter candlestick with baluster stem (one of a pair), £200-£250.

In the early years of Queen Victoria’s reign, the Georgian legacy of restrained, dignified decoration was still much in evidence. During the middle of the century and the late Victorian period, a darker, more masculine style and the Renaissance Revival were more in vogue. So although early Victorian candlesticks were extremely simple, later designs became much more ornate, and developed into the massive candelabra that could be placed in the middle of the dining table for an impressive display of light.

By the late 1880s and 1890s, however, a reaction to ponderous Victorian interiors prompted members of the Art Nouveau Movement to design a lighter, brighter, more feminine style of decoration. Regardless of the period you use as inspiration for your own Christmas table, candlelight will add a welcoming touch.

Choosing the right style

• The terms used are specific: a candleholder is any object that holds a candle. A candlestick is a long, thin ‘sticklike’ candleholder for one candle. A candelabrum (the plural is candelabra) is a candleholder with at least two branches.
• Examples of simple/classic include early 18th century brass (or turned wood) candlesticks with baluster stems; and electroplated or silver altar candlesticks with turned stem and paw feet.
• Examples of formal/masculine include Louis XVI style gilt and ceramic or porphyry cassolettes (small containers) with an ovoid form where the lid is lifted to reveal a candle nozzle; and French Neoclassical parcel-gilt bronze pedestal vase candleholders.
• Examples of romantic/whimsical include 19th century/French cherub forms often holding floral/foliate stems in gilt-bronze, as candleholder or candelabra; Italianate carved wood polychrome and parcel-gilt kneeling angels holding candlesticks.
• Visit antiques-directory.co.uk for reputable dealers.

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WORDS JUDITH MILLER PHOTOGRAPHS LYON & TURNBULL, ANDERSON & GARLAND
All valuations and estimates correct at time of publishing
Featured in the December 2011 issue or Period Living

Buy Judith Miller’s Antiques Handbook & Price Guide 2012-2013