What is a pricket candlestick?

A pricket candlestick uses a sharp metal spike to hold the candle rather than a socket. This design dates back centuries and appears frequently on historic altar pieces. In modern settings, these items serve as decorative centrepieces or lamp bases while retaining their original ecclesiastical spike.

How do I date these candlesticks?

Dating relies on examining the carving style, the wood beneath the gilding, and the composition of the gesso layer. Eighteenth-century pieces typically display deeper hand-carving and heavier proportions. Victorian and later interpretations often incorporate different turning techniques or modified bases adapted during nineteenth-century restorations.

Were these originally lamps?

Most of these pieces started life as purely decorative or functional church altar candlesticks holding wax candles. Many were subsequently converted into table lamps and standard lamps during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This conversion involved running electrical wiring through the historic wooden core, blending antique sculpture with modern lighting.

Where were these pieces made?

The selection includes notable representations from Italian and Spanish workshops, reflecting the strong Catholic traditions of those regions. English Baroque examples also appear among the continental imports. Italian Venetian-style pieces are particularly common, known for their elaborate carved gilt-wood and silvered finishes.

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Giltwood Altar Candlesticks

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These giltwood altar candlesticks are carved wooden church lights finished in gold leaf that bring dramatic scale and aged ecclesiastical presence to an interior.

19th century

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Italian Giltwood Candle Holder

From Arcadia Antiques

£195

FOR SALE

lighting

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Giltwood Altar Candlesticks

Italian Giltwood Candle Holder

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