Object Literature
These candlesticks were clearly inspired by Greek antique ruins, hence the deliberately corroded and imperfect surfaces which are really cleverly executed. The stamped mark of 1245 is probably the manufacturer’s serial numbers. The sharpness of the casting has deliberately been softened to reflect the weathered and part-ruined state of the capitals.
A Corinthian capital in architectural terms is the top part of a column characterised by large acanthus leaves and fluted columns, as we see here.. The Victorians would have enjoyed the novelty and exotic undertones of these candle sticks opposed to the regular brass examples more commonly found at the time and we cannot find any examples that are similar to these; usually candlesticks formed as capitals are not in ‘ruined’ form.
A good large decorative pair of candlesticks that have real presence.