George I Antique Silver Chamberstick, London circa 1720.

Object Description

A charming little silver chamber stick (also known as a go to bed) with the solid design and excellent heavy gauge silver you’d expect from the early 1700’s. It has a flat teardrop handle and circular drip pan standing on three stump feet.

Weight 225g, 7.25 troy oz.
Length 17.5cm. Diameter 10.6cm. Height 5.7cm.
London circa 1720.
Britannia standard silver*.

Marks. Stamped with a full set of English silver hallmarks on the top. The Britannia and lion marks are faint but readable, the maker and date letter are too rubbed to be made out. The candle sconce has a clear lion mark. We’ve attributed the circa 1720 date because Britannia silver was compulsory during the period 1697-1720 and the form of this chamberstick form is typical of the period 1700-1720.

No maker assigned

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Object Literature

Chambersticks first made an appearance in the 17th century and early examples are now very hard to find. Originally they were made in sets as a household would need many chamber sticks. They were used for lighting the way to bed and because of the movement created when they were carried about they needed a large drip pan to catch the wax. The earliest examples have straight handles (first flat, then tubular) which were superseded in the first part of the 18th century by a ring handle. Gradually the design evolved and from the mid 18th century onwards they usually had a matching conical snuffer although from about 1790 onwards some were made with an aperture at the base of the stem to take a pair of scissor snuffers.

*Britannia Standard silver. In 1696, so extensive had become the melting and clipping of coinage that the silversmiths were forbidden to use the sterling standard for their wares, but had to use a new higher standard, 95.8 per cent. New hallmarks were ordered, “the figure of a woman commonly called Britannia” and the lion’s head erased (torn off at the neck) replacing the lion passant and the leopard’s head crowned. This continued until the old standard of 92.5 per cent was restored in 1720. Britannia standard silver still continues to be produced even today.

Object Details