Identify possible 18th century brass candlesticks

Discussion in 'Metalware' started by craiglcowing, Mar 8, 2017.

  1. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    I'm sort of at a dead end with identifying the origin and date of these two pair of candlesticks. I bought the shorter pair to the left at an antique mall. They are 8" tall and have prickets. The pair to the right are family heirlooms, going back at least 5 generations in my family. They are 11" tall, and have rather clumsy brass sockets. I believe that they also had prickets, judging from how shallow the drip catchers are. The bottom of each is a round disk of brass that is soldered in, presumably to hold the weighting in. I'm interested in where they were made, if there is a name for this style, and approximately how old each pair is. I'm thinking ca. 1700-20, possibly English. Thanks in advance!
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Mar 8, 2017
    cxgirl, Figtree3 and Joshua Brown like this.
  2. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    can we see the bases...
     
  3. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    tall.base.jpg short.base.jpg short.base.jpg tall.base.jpg short.base.jpg The plain base is for the taller candlesticks, the one with rings for the shorter pair. Both are 2 1/4 inches in diameter.
     
    Figtree3 likes this.
  4. Figtree3

    Figtree3 What would you do if you weren't afraid?

    Welcome, craiglcowing. Somebody should be along soon to help...
     
    craiglcowing likes this.
  5. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    That would be great. The shorter pair I really like, and paid little for them, but the tall pair has been in my family forever..
     
  6. verybrad

    verybrad Well-Known Member

    Old brass candlesticks are tough to determine age on. I think this is why you are not getting much response. With those enclosed bottoms, I would assume 19th century at the earliest but could be wrong. I am certainly no expert.
     
  7. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    More detailed photos might have clues. We can't tell much from the single distant photo side view,
     
  8. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    The top one is one of the shorter candlesticks, the bottom is one of the taller ones.
    smallcandlestick.jpg tallcandlestick.jpg
     
    cxgirl likes this.
  9. Shangas

    Shangas Underage Antiques Collector and Historian

    My hunch is that these aren't that old. I dunno, they look too 'clean' and 'crisp'. If they were from the 18th century, surely they'd show wear and imperfections from polishing and cleaning and removing old wax and stuff?
     
    Figtree3 likes this.
  10. Ownedbybear

    Ownedbybear Well-Known Member

    You'd be surprised. I've seen early Georgian sticks that looked perfect.
     
    cxgirl, craiglcowing and judy like this.
  11. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    I would imagine. The taller pair have more marks from turning than the smaller pair does.
     
  12. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    In my continuing research, I have found that brass candlesticks made in England were made in two halves and brazed together. This was done ca. 1670-1770. On one of the taller sticks you can see the marks from the brazing running the length of the candlestick. I suspect the shorter pair is somewhat newer, perhaps later 18th century.
     
    cxgirl likes this.
  13. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

    I think brazing is the wrong term, brazing is done at a higher temperature than these sticks would stand without melting. You braze ferrous metals together; you solder brass pieces together with a tin alloy called solder.
     
  14. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    Last edited: Mar 22, 2017
    craiglcowing likes this.
  15. Dukewright

    Dukewright Member

    I am glad you spoke up, I have worked with metal for years as a machinist/welder and have seen it done. However, I have found that people in different industries can and do call processes by different or incorrect names. Even within the same industry... come to think of it, in the same shop!:woot:
     
  16. springfld.arsenal

    springfld.arsenal Store: http://www.springfieldarsenal.net/

  17. Hollyblue

    Hollyblue Well-Known Member

    It's just a matter of semantics and usage of a term like Dukewright posted above.If I use a 1500F degree silver solder for silver objects it is called solder,my brother-in-law using the same "solder" at his sheet metal fabrication shop would call it brazing.
     
  18. craiglcowing

    craiglcowing New Member

    Whatever the process was, it involved using brass or some alloy the same color of brass to bind the two halves together, so that when the piece was turned the joint would match and would not show. In the case of my candlesticks, there are a few small bubbles, and I can feel the line down the sides. These pieces were turned, but in a relatively crude manner.
     

Share This Page