Antique Silver Candlesticks, Candelabra, Dining silver
Candlesticks
Candlesticks are among today’s most popular and collectable silver items. The earliest surviving domestic examples date from the mid-17th century, but most found today were made from the 18th century onward. A great variety of styles is available, from the classical column shape of the late 18th century to the inventive figural and telescopic forms of the 19th century. Early candlesticks were cast is solid silver, but huge numbers of less expensive examples stamped from rolled silver sheet were being produced in Birmingham and Sheffield by the 1770s – these were among the first-ever items mass produced by industrial methods. It is important to remember when buying candlesticks and candelabra that most were made as pairs.
Candelabra
Candelabra – table candlesticks with branches for extra lights – began to be made from c.1660 and increased in popularity throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. A candelabrum consists of a central shaft with two or more detachable scroll branches supporting candle sockets; sometimes there is also a socket at the top of the shaft. Made in similar styles to candlesticks and by the same makers, candelabra were likewise generally produced in pairs. Most found today are in good condition, because they were better made and much more expensive than candlesticks and therefore were not subjected to the same amount of wear or damage.
Dining Silver
Plates, salves, tureens and other items of dining silver first appeared in the late 17th century, when the complete dinner service, with matching dishes and cutlery, was introduced at the French court. From that period, and especially in the 18th century, elaborate dining silver in the latest fashions was often used to display the wealth and status of the host, and finely engraved coats of arms or crests, identifying the owner, are common features of items such as salvers. For collectors today, heavy and elaborately decorated items like tureens and centrepieces are generally more rare and expensive than flatware, utilitarian drinking vessels such as tankards, and casters, cruets, mustard pots, and salt cellars all available in a treat variety of styles.