Large Candle Holders
Large antique candle holders bring height and steady illumination to a room, ranging from grand multi-branch candelabra to heavy brass sticks.
Large Candle Holders
When searching for large antique candle holders, buyers encounter substantial pieces designed to hold taper candles, pillars or heavy wax blocks. The selection spans the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, capturing domestic and ecclesiastical forms.
Brass and silver-plated candlesticks from the Victorian era appear frequently, alongside multi-branch candelabra and altar pieces. Makers utilised materials from heavy cast brass to carved wood and copper to achieve scale.
The objects take many shapes, including floor-standing holders, table-centre candelabra, church pricket sticks and mantel lustres. Origins stretch across Britain, France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, reflecting diverse historic interiors.
Materials and construction
Metalwork forms the core of the selection, utilising cast brass, silver plate, copper, iron and gilt bronze. Brass components were cast and turned on lathes before hand-finishing, while iron examples involved blacksmith forging and riveting.
Ceramic and glass pieces incorporate moulded porcelain figures, bocage elements and ruby glass bodies paired with metal sconces. Wooden items rely on hand-carved timber, often finished with gilt or polychrome paint.
Construction methods match the period, utilising threaded joints in nineteenth-century brass work and pegged or joined timber in eighteenth-century altar pieces. Detachable sconces on silver-plated candelabra allowed easier wax cleaning.
Large Candle Holders Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for large candle holders among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Some antique rushlight holders doubled as Betty lamps, letting our ancestors burn whatever fat was left over from supper.
Quality variations
The calibre of casting and chasing defines the metalwork, where sharper surface detail and cleaner joins distinguish superior items. Heavier gauge metal provides better stability for tall structures.
Proportion and decorative harmony separate standard production from exceptional pieces. Sculptural elements like porcelain figures or chased brass retain finer hand-painting and crisper relief on higher tier examples.
Matthew Boulton·Birmingham Guild of Handicraft·Sitzendorf
The Large Candle Holders Glossary
- Candelabra
- A branched lighting fixture designed to hold multiple candles simultaneously. They often feature removable upper branches to function as single candlesticks.
- Pricket
- A sharp metal spike on a candlestick designed to impale and secure a large wax candle or pillar. This form is common on church and altar pieces.
- Mantle Lustres
- Decorative tabletop ornaments featuring hanging glass prisms that reflect candlelight. They typically incorporate glass bodies in colours such as ruby.
- Rushlight Holder
- A historic device designed to grip a dried rush dipped in animal fat for cheap illumination. These domestic items display primitive iron forging.
- Bocage
- An arrangement of applied porcelain leaves and flowers surrounding a central figure. It appears frequently on eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century figural candlesticks.
Large Candle Holders: Frequently Asked Questions
Where were large church candlesticks used?
Large church candlesticks and pricket sticks stood on or beside altars in cathedrals, chapels and parish churches. Their height ensured visibility across large religious spaces during services.
Today, these ecclesiastical pieces find placement in domestic halls, beside fireplaces or as architectural floor items. Their robust construction and heavy metal bases make them suitable for substantial pillar candles.
How do I identify a pricket candlestick?
A pricket candlestick uses an upright metal spike instead of a hollow socket to hold the candle. The base of a wax pillar or church candle is pushed directly onto this sharp point.
This style predates standard socket holders and remains common on altar pieces and Amsterdam School copper designs. Drip pans usually sit beneath the spike to catch melting wax.
What are mantle lustres?
Mantle lustres are decorative glass or porcelain ornaments fitted with cut crystal prisms hanging from the rim. When lit candles were placed inside, the glass prisms refracted the light across the room.
They gained popularity during the Victorian era and sat on mantelpieces as ornamental garnitures rather than primary light sources. Coloured glass bodies, such as deep ruby, were typical for these pieces.