Brass Knights Shield Candlestick

Hello - This is my 1st time posting! Thanks in advance for any insight you can share I was so drawn to these candlesticks a neighbor was selling. They feel very special to me. I'm able to find similar looking items online, but nothing identical. The little research I can see (based on how people describe similar items) is that they could be 19th century Tudor Arthurian knights. The writing on the shield is "CITE LA CARCASSONNE" and the coat of arms depicted on the shield is consistent with Carcasonne; showing an agnus dei with a fleur de lis border and castle. Could these be from France instead? The soldiers appear cast from the same mold (I can see repeating patterns in the chain mail between both items), and they also unscrew from the square bases.

 

Little souvenirs, I would think.

Debora

 

Here's a souvenir brass cup with the same crest.

https://www.katieandcompany.com/store/p35/Antique_Brass_Cite_de_Carcassone_Crest_Goblet_Cup.html

Debora

 

The city's coat of arms has evolved over time. You can find yours here (without a usage range, unfortunately.)

https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/wiki/Carcassonne

Debora

 

Hi Debora - Thanks for your quick responses! Yes, I found that same information on the heraldry website as well. I found these guys as too (see below) which look similar to mine, minus the coat of arms. Great find with that goblet, the crest looks identical! So you think these are just souvenirs a tourist purchased when visiting Carcassonne?

https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/d...ndlesticks-tudor-knights-armor/id-f_21462022/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/164260...rh4wL8tw0sDC4a6q7Ls7pFsQ9w7jXbfRoCgHkQAvD_BwE

https://www.pamono.com/19th-century-bronze-candlestick-holders-of-tudor-knights-in-armor-set-of-2

 

Tourism in Carcassonne began in the Victorian era as its reconstruction was undertaken. Yours do appear to be older souvenirs but souvenirs never-the-less.

Oh, and there's a typo in your initial post. The Tudor era was 1485-1603 so mostly fell in the 16th century, not 19th. The legend of King Arthur dates to the late 5th and early 6th centuries, much earlier (although it was popular in the Middle Ages and the 19th century.)

Debora

 

Upon closer inspection, I can see that the crest on the shield has been added/welded/glued onto the existing round shield. Not only can I see some space and material between the shield and the crest, but I can also see it is a slightly different color than the knight, every so subtly a little copper colored. I wonder when the shield was added. Was it added after the fact or contemporaneously with the creation of the knights? Curious, very curious.