Antique Silvered Sconces
Antique silvered sconces bring reflective candle or electric light to a room through plated metal, giltwood, and glass.
Antique Silvered Sconces
When you search for antique silvered sconces, you encounter wall-mounted lighting fixtures and candle holders originating from periods spanning the Victorian and Edwardian eras into the twentieth century. These pieces encompass wall lights, twin-arm fixtures, and individual candle sconces formed from metals, wood, and glass.
The selections on this page lean heavily toward silver-plated, silver-gilt, and silvered bronze forms, alongside giltwood and brass alternatives. Wall lights dominate the selection, accompanied by matched pairs of candlesticks adapted for walls or tables.
Origins stretch from English workshops to French ateliers and Italian provinces, reflecting styles such as Rococo Revival, Art Deco, and Florentine design. Buyers find both simple domestic brackets and ornate multi-branch fixtures suited to period interiors.
How they were made
Maker techniques combine base metals like brass, bronze, and pewter with silver plating, silver leaf, or liquid silver gilding. Wood components, notably in Florentine giltwood pieces, receive carved gesso and applied metal leaf before burnishing.
Glass elements incorporate bevelled mirrors, hurricane shades, and Murano components designed to bounce illumination back into the room. Construction methods rely on cast metal brackets, bolted arms, and hand-soldered joints typical of period metalwork.
Materials span silver plate, sterling silver, silver leaf, brass, glass, giltwood, and wood.
What varies in quality
Quality rests upon the crispness of the casting and the depth of the metal finish, separating substantial cast bronze or heavy silver plate from lighter stamped alternatives. Hand-carved wooden details and original mercury gilding or thick silver layers show superior craftsmanship compared to later secondary coatings.
The integrity of structural joints, original fixing points, and intact glass components dictate the overall standard of survival. Pieces retaining their matching arms, original bevelled mirror plates, and period wiring hardware sit at the upper end of the range.
Birks·John Cafe·Elkinton & Co
The Antique Silvered Sconces Glossary
- Silver Plate
- A thin layer of silver bonded to a base metal such as copper, brass, or Britannia metal. This technique allowed makers to achieve the appearance of solid silver at a lower cost.
- Giltwood
- Timber, commonly gesso-coated and carved, treated with gold or silver leaf. It forms the decorative backing plates for Italian and French wall lights.
- Sconce
- A wall-mounted lighting fixture designed to hold candles or electric bulbs. Backplates often incorporate reflective mirrors or brass shields to amplify the light.
- Murano
- Glass manufactured on the Venetian island of Murano, known for hand-blown elements and decorative components on Italian wall lights.
- Rococo Revival
- A nineteenth-century design movement favouring asymmetrical scrolls, shell motifs, and naturalistic curves. This style heavily influences many nineteenth-century wall lights and candlesticks.
Antique Silvered Sconces: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clean antique silvered sconces?
Dust surfaces gently with a soft microfibre cloth to remove accumulated particulate matter without disturbing fragile metallic finishes.
Avoid abrasive metal polishes on silver-plated or silver-gilt areas, as aggressive rubbing wears away thin historic coatings.
Can these wall sconces take electricity?
Many candle sconces and wall lights arrive wired for electricity or can be professionally adapted by a qualified electrician using appropriate candle tubes.
Convertible pieces often retain their original brackets, allowing installation without permanently altering the historic metalwork.
How do I tell different periods apart?
Victorian and Edwardian pieces frequently display heavy silver plating over base metals or intricate cast figural motifs, while Art Deco examples favour streamlined chrome and glass.
Earlier seventeenth and eighteenth-century items show hand-hammered construction and simpler wrought iron or cast brass forms lacking later revival ornament.
Where should I hang a pair of sconces?
Mount sconces at eye level flanking a fireplace, doorway, or antique mirror to create balanced ambient illumination in a room.
Ensure wall fixings match the weight of the piece, particularly for heavy giltwood or multi-branch bronze fixtures.