Sunday 25 November 2012

Can you ever have enough candlesticks?

There is something rather comforting about candlelight.
Candlelight creates a warm glow and a sense of timelessness (and intimacy) that cannot always be achieved with electric light - despite its undoubted convenience.
The use of appropriate lampshades can go some way towards creating a similar ambience:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
But for my money there is nothing to beat the comfortable cosiness of a candlelit room and as Winter fast approaches our thoughts turn more and more to the use of candles to create that magical quality we love.

Which leads to the question: Can you ever have enough candlesticks?

This weekend we have begun to clean and spruce up our candlesticks in readiness now that summer is long gone.  I see that we have around twenty-two, not including tea light glasses and their ilk.  Twenty-two good honest dependable candlesticks.

To give some idea I decided to do a candlestick 'fashion shoot' (some with, and some without candles) to give you a sampling of our collection.

So, off we go then!

This pair of English Edwardian barley twist candlesticks, made of oak, have nice brass cups on top to hold the candle itself:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
This German 'Biedermeier' candlestick is made of tin:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
Very plain and somewhat simple; it does however have a rather nice scalloped lever for pushing the candle up.  This way the thrifty householder get maximum use out of said candle!
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
AGA tells me that this brass candlestick is also Biedermeier.  It is German and a little worse for wear around the rim although the Victorian brass candlewick trimmers resting on its base work perfectly!
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
These two handsome chaps are French bronze candlesticks from around the 1870s.
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
They have enameled, painted decorations around the base.
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
This tiny candlestick comes from a shop in Stockholm.  It was given to me as a present by a shopkeeper after we had bought one of his cartel clocks.  It is the sort of candlestick you carry to bed with you and then snuff out.  It isn't designed to hold a candle that is going to burn for too long. . .
This somewhat blurred Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
These four gentlemen are Edwardian barley twist candlesticks made in oak.  They have rather ornate brass cups for the candles to go in.  You will see that they are in fact two pairs.  One set has the twist going one way and the other set has it's twist going the opposite way.  I decided to set them up alternately for this photograph:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
This is an old Church candle.  I am told that it comes from France.  I like it with its brass lilies and 'fancy' acanthus leaf base:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
Meanwhile, Pope Pius XI enjoys sitting between these two brass candlesticks in the kitchen.  They are English and my father's family at one time had a hand in making them, at their brassfoundry.  Originally these formed a set of pairs ranging from extra large down to very small.  They were very popular in the late Victorian era. 
My grandparents had the entire set but most were lost when their house was destroyed during bombing in WWII.  Only two pairs were able to be salvaged: The really large one and the next one down.  One still carries its bomb dent with pride!  I occasionally come across other sizes in our travels and here are two that I found at a fairly reasonable price on the Portobello Road.  An old antique dealer asked me if I had the 'rare' Queen of Diamonds' candlestick made for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria.  I couldn't remember if that was one that we had a home.  The next time we were back in Melbourne I looked - but alas it wasn't.  These two make their appearance at dinner time, when they come into their own but for this photograph they are sitting peaceably with the Pope and a duck.
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
Moving right along:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
This large one, newly made - which at the moment has a rather ugly looking purple candle in it from last year's Advent Wreath - is a beauty!  I don't like those candles that have a 'plasticy' non-melting cover around them.  I shan't buy those any more. We bought the candlestick while in London because it had such wonderful looking feet!
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
This is a little Swedish wooden candle 'holder'.  You can't light those for too long or the whole thing would catch fire!
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
AGA took this photograph for you.  It shows one of his prize French bouillotte lamps.  Most bouillotte lamps these days have been converted to electricity but this one can still hold candles:
This Photograph was  taken by AGA!
And I know these are not, strictly speaking, Candle Sticks but they fulfill the same function.  In Germany (where these two Pewter ones come from) I believe that they are called 'Blakker'.
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
They reflect quite a nice light in the evening:
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
Looking for a book by candlelight lends a magical, mysterious air to an otherwise ordinary activity...
This Photograph was taken by Kirk Dale.
Do you use candlesticks at home?

33 comments:

  1. Dear Kirk - I do agree with you that candle light, especially during the festive season, is a must. I have not counted mine but I seem to have several in most rooms. We also have some very small oil lamps bought in Denmark. In the Scandinavian countries they tend to burn them all day, because of the lack of light in the winter months. I think it has a similar effect as the SAD lamps.

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    1. Dear Rosemary,
      I quite agree. Candles don't create the same effect in the summer months but in Winter they seem to evoke all that is safe and warm and comfortable.
      I've never tried oil lamps myself. What sort of oil would you use?

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    2. You have to buy a special oil for them which is imported from Denmark. It doesn't smoke or have any nasty smell - perhaps it is distilled!!!
      I left instructions for you on my blog about watermarking your photos. If you cannot understand them, do tell me, and I will try to help you further.

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    3. Thanks Rosemary. I shall pop over and take a look.

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  2. I fell in love with candlelight as a young bride on honeymoon in Denmark. Everywhere I went the table included a candle or two - or more - and I enjoyed the sense of cosines, intimacy that was created. I haven't counted the candlesticks at Pondside, but there are many. At this time of year I especially like the brass sticks from Denmark, but I'd love to find some barley twist sticks. I saw them in England in September but didn't purchase - regrets!!!

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    1. Dear Pondside,
      Buyer's Regret - how often do we suffer from that!
      Brass candlesticks are lovely, especially if you can put three or more in a group - then the light reflects from them too.
      THe last time we were in Copenhagen was Christmas time and you are right - candles are everywhere - a very inviting sight!
      Thank you for visiting my blog. Feel free to drop by any time.
      Now I am off to visit yours!
      Kirk

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  3. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE AND USE CANDLESTICKS IN MY HOME! Light is the ambience that any home can obtain. It is inexpensive and can lend so much richness to any space. Kirk, thank you so much for coming to visit me today! I too adore those photos of the old man and the child in their crowns. Men are to be celebrated in the world of whimsy because they too, like us GIRLS, wish to sometimes be that child again.

    I really appreciate your comments and I wish you and YOUR FATHER a wonderful journey of life, discovering the wonders of a child's world. Anita

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    1. Dear Anita,
      Thank you for dropping by and thank you for your kind words.
      Now that I am writing this we have lit quite a lot of candles and to finish the evening off will have hot chocolate as well!
      Kirk

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  4. Hello Kirk, What an intriguing variety of candlesticks. It is also nice to catch of few glimpses of your interesting house. Who plays the harpsichord, and what type is it?

    It is hard to pick a favorite because they serve such a variety of functions, but if I had to choose it could be the brass pair that resembles the ones your family made. I like the red shade on the bouillotte, as well as the lamp itself. I remember that Reggie Darling once wrote a blog on these; you can search for the word 'bouillotte'.

    Somewhere along the line I stopped burning candles--I like the look but not the fire hazard. One of my favorites at home is a bronze Art Nouveau example that I think I paid $2 for. I also had a number of old mercury glass ones that all perished in "the fire".
    --Road to Parnassus

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    1. Hello Jim,
      Those brass candlesticks are among my favourites as well.
      AGA is a bit of an expert on bouilotte lamps. We have four of them. This is the only one with a red shade. The rest are all green or blue.
      The harpsichord is a French SIngle Manual made by Guido Bizzi. AGA tells me that it is a copy of one made by Pascal Taskin in the 18th Century. We both play but I defer to AGA when I say that he is the better one but having said that I play a mean Sailor's Hornpipe on it!
      Kirk

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  5. Dear Kirk,

    I thought we had a lot of candlesticks, but you beat us :-)! What a beautiful collection you have. Most of our candlesticks are contemporary, but yours look so beautiful! The bronze candlesticks from France with the enamelled painted decorations around the base and the one with the Acanthus leaves are my favourite. They really stand out.

    I agree with you on candlelight. It makes the house look warm and cosy. It's not difficult to imagine how your house will look with the candles burning. It already looks lovely without them!

    I will check out the two gardens now you mentioned on my blog! They did not ring any bells, so I am looking forward to learn more about them. Perhaps for a next visit to the UK!

    Wish you a lovely new week!

    Madelief x

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    1. Dear Madelief,
      Thank you for kind words! Yes that candlestick with the acanthus leaves is lovely. I saw another one just like it recently in a church next to a Saint's shrine. Perhaps that was the job of our one a long time ago.
      Another garden worth visiting is Haddon Hall - that is a lovely garden too and has links to the romantic story of Dorothy Vernon...
      Kirk

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  6. Wow, Kirk! 22? You and AGA have a lot of candlesticks!! And I thought Tom and I have a lot! :) I'll have to email you photos of our collection: pewter, Sheffield, mercury glass, iron, painted wood. I love AGA's French bouillotte lamp with the handsome tole shade. Is the paint on the shade original? It's in such fantastic condition. And your 4 barley twist candlesticks with their brass bobeches are wonderful!
    Cheers,
    Loi

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    1. Hi Loi,
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Yes 22 candlesticks, and this does not include the ones in our house in Melbourne!!
      We would love to see pictures of your own collection!!! We have some mercury glass tealight holders and they give a wonderful light...
      AGA told me to tell you that yes, the paint on the Bouillotte Lamp is original. It has flaked slightly in a couple of places but that is understandably given that it was made in the mid nineteenth century.
      Bye for now,
      Kirk

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  7. I love this post, my mother has a candlesticks collection. May I stay at your cute blog?? .....

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    1. Dear Marina,
      Thank you so much for visiting my blog and becoming a member.
      Thank you also for your kind words.
      Your mother has a candlestick collection? I like that. What type does she have?
      Bye for now
      Kirk

      PS
      Now I am going to go and take a look at your blog too!

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  8. Dear Kirk - My vote is for any of the handsome barely twist candlesticks. I'm also enamoured of AGA's bouillotte lamp. I never see one of those without thinking of David's portrait of Napoleon in his study.

    I have a porcelain candelabrum and a pair of silver candlesticks, but I prefer to use a pair of urn-shaped hurricane lamps, which actually seem more appropriate for Florida. My living room has one wall that is floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and using about a dozen tea lights has quite a magical effect in it.

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    1. Dear Mark,

      AGA has three other bouillote lamps. They have been electrified and unlike the one in the photograph they all have the same green or blue shades similar to that one in the David portrait. I do like the paintings of David, especially his sumptuous monumental work

      Hurricane lamps are very evocative. They bring forth images of old barns, gales, sou'westers and driving rain!

      An entirely mirrored wall lit up by tea lights. I like that idea - it is very Versailles!

      Kirk

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  9. dear kirk, i love your antique candlesticks. I have 3 matching pewter candlesticks that I'm fond of, and an antique wee willie winkie one. We don't light them that often, but when we do, I love the ambience that they give.I notice the other beautiful objets in your house - a bit of an old carriage clock that looks very special and French I think? Also very lovely Persian rug - my mother in law at the age of 90 still deals in antiques and i reap the benefit.

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    1. Dear Catmint,
      I think that matching candlesticks are great. We always try to buy pairs rather than single although we do have a couple of those. A wee willie winkle one was the first candlestick I bought. I was in my teens and I still have it sitting by my bed back in Melbourne.
      Clocks - I dare not tell you how many of those we have. They are a passion of AGA who like to collect them, read about them, study them and generally admire them. I have become a gradual admirer. Although I rarely hear their 'tick' when they chime all at once at, say, midday, you suddenly realise how many there are!
      Your mother-in-law is an antique dealer? That would be AGAs idea of heaven!
      Kirk

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  10. Hello Kirk!
    With your home so crammed with antiquities, I'm surprised you were able to FIND your candlesticks!
    You're right - candle-light suggests another way of living altogether, a slower, more ruminative, more deliberate, gentler pace.
    I hate to say I don't think I've got ANY candlesticks at all, so on the rare occasion I use a candle, it gets bunged into something meant for quite another purpose.
    Thankyou for letting us into your home!
    Faisal.

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    1. Hi Faisal!
      Cramped? Yes you could say that! We like to look on this apartment as a kind of 'glory box' for when we return to Australia - where the price of any antique is triple or quadruple the European price. Then we will move to more spacious surroundings and everything can 'exhale' a little more!
      Sometimes it feels cramped but I guess we have become like goldfish, growing into our 'tank'.
      AGA is certainly learning a lot about the industry and antiques in general. He thinks he would like to have a shop as a sideline but I am not sure. I would want to keep everything I bought.
      No candlesticks? Mind you, what 'is' a candlestick? Merely a receptacle for placing a candle so that it gives light to a room. In an emergency a half-filled sauce bottle will serve just as well.
      It was a pleasure to invite you into our home!
      Cheers amigo!
      Kirk

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  11. Dear Kirk,
    Your beautiful post is so timely, as the weather has most definitely changed here in Michigan, and the cozy season is upon us! I absolutely agree with you that there is nothing so warm and inviting as a room lit by candles and lamps with golden or red shades. I loved seeing your candlestick collection and the beautiful rooms they adorn--your home is so lovely! In my own collection of candlesticks is a tiny pair of brass ones from England, of a very similar shape to yours: wouldn't it be a fun coincidence if they were related to your family's brassworks?! You've inspired me to have a bit of fun today refreshing the candles in all of my candlesticks and shifting my collections around to make room for even more candlelight for the season....perhaps a visit to my local antiques shop is in order as well... I can see that with only one pair, my home has a serious barley twist deficit that needs immediate attention!
    Thank you, Kirk-- a wonderful post!
    Warm regards,
    Erika

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    1. Dear Erika,
      It is always a pleasure to have you drop by this blog for a visit!
      You are so right. A room lit by candlelight and the pooled lighting of discreet lamps is lovely. The perfect place for reading a nice book and drinking a cup of hot chocolate.
      If those brass ones are the same then you already have the basis of a super collection. All you have to do is start hunting and build up the entire set (a bit like amassing the set of football or baseball cards - only - dare i say it - more stylish!)
      Thank you for your kind comments and I do hope you are able to rectify your barleytwist deficit as soon as possible!
      Kirk.

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  12. We have a variety of candlesticks and lamps here because of the frequency of power failures in northern New England. My favorites are two solid brass and one pewter Jacobean-style candlesticks with nice wide bases to catch any dripped "wax."

    We also have two very nice Victorian hurricane lamps and there is one treasure, an Argand Lamp. This 1780 invention by Aimé Argand is configured to create a chimney effect around the wick that delivers extra oxygen to the flame, delivering a much stronger light than an ordinary lamp. M. Argand got it patented and introduced to the public at the premiere of Beaumarchais' play The Marriage of Figaro in Paris. Unfortunately, the politically revolutionary nature of the script got the play banned and the theater closed for a while, so not too many people got to see the lamp's advantages at first.

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    1. Dear Will,
      I had not heard of Argand lamps before. After reading your description I have looked them up (on the Internet of course) so I have learnt something new! How old is your Argand lamp?
      I love having things in a collection that have a nice story behind them.
      Kirk

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    2. I believe my Argand Lamp is 1885-95, somewhere around there. It is unusable unfortunately as proper mantle if the flame is either not made any more or I have not been able to locate one. The output of an Argand Lamp is said to be the light of 6 to 8 candles.

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  13. Your collection is wonderful and the settings (the backgrounds and rooms) are exquisite. We used to have many more candlesticks. In our move from the USA to Spain, we downsized and donated most. We kept some wall sconces and less than 10 candlesticks that had special meaning. We never did have any wood candlesticks (except for one from Norway like yours from Sweden). Yours are especially beautiful.

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    1. Dear Mitchell,

      Thank you for your kind comments.

      Downsizing - I understand. Some work colleagues of ours are moving and they have said they are downsizing too. When we move back to Australia I think we will have upsized!

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  14. Dear Will,
    For some reason I cannot post directly under your reply...
    Perhaps you can find a replacement on ebay. They seem to stock everything under the sun!

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  15. Dear Kirk

    You have such a beautiful and varied collection of candlesticks. I want to touch them all. We had a pair of brass candles at our home in Ireland. just like from your father's foundry. The base was square on one of them and on the second it was circular.
    I have a pair of pewter candlesticks which are English,purchased prior to WW2 in an antique shop in Oxford by my late father in law.
    A wonderful post and now I shall be gathering my candlesticks.
    Your home is beautiful and I love your art collection too.

    Helen xx

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    1. Dear Helen,
      Thank you for your kind words. Yes, we have a lot of candlesticks - and a lot of artwork as well. In fact as I type this AGA is trying to reorganise them and put up the latest additions but I think we have run out of room!
      Kirk
      x

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  16. Hello Kirk,I found you at Teacup in the garden...your style is so especially and particulary,I can`t find the right words.Are these antiques all in your home??In the past we collected many interiour -magazines from great britain,now we have your blog!!It looks wonderful.Sorry for bad english.I never use.Bienekatja

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