Silver Plated Candle Light
Silver plated candle light brings warmth and period character to a room, spanning pairs of candlesticks, multi-light candelabra, wall lights, and chandeliers.
Silver Plated Candle Light
Silver plated candle light covers a broad spectrum of domestic lighting, from simple table candlesticks to large dining table centrepiece candelabra with detachable sconces. Buyers searching for silver plated candle light frequently encounter pairs of Victorian or Edwardian pieces, alongside Georgian designs and Old Sheffield Plate chamber candlesticks.
The selection ranges across wall lights, chandeliers, candle lamps, and wall sconces produced from the eighteenth century into the twentieth century. Forms include telescopic candlesticks, lyre-shaped candelabra, and figural designs depicting cavaliers and ladies.
Origin and period vary widely, encompassing English makers, French Empire style wall lights, and Jugendstil or Art Nouveau pieces from around nineteen hundred. Buyers can find anything from miniature candlesticks to extensive multi-light candelabra suites designed for formal dining.
Distinctions in quality and execution
Quality shows in the crispness of the chased and cast ornamentation, particularly on ornate Victorian candelabra or French wall lights where heavy casting preserves fine detail. Substantial weight and solid construction separate superior domestic pieces from lighter, more utilitarian alternatives.
The integrity of the underlying plate layers and the survival of original components, such as matching detachable sconces or working telescopic mechanisms, determine the desirability of a pair. Maker marks from established workshops also indicate a higher standard of design and metalwork.
Travel safely with a monogrammed cased travelling candlestick set fit for an earl or countess.
Garrard & Co·Matthew Boulton·Mappin & Webb·WMF·Smith & Sissons·Barker Ellis·Veritas Lamp Works
The Silver Plated Candle Light Glossary
- Old Sheffield Plate
- A composite material formed by fusing a sheet of silver to a copper ingot before rolling, typical of eighteenth and early nineteenth-century production.
- Candelabra
- A branched lighting fixture holding multiple candles, often featuring removable arms or detachable sconces for easier cleaning.
- Chamber candlestick
- A low-profile candlestick equipped with a handle and a saucer base, originally designed for carrying through a darkened house.
- Telescopic
- A shaft design that allows the height of the candlestick to be adjusted up or down via a sliding mechanism.
- Electroplated nickel silver
- A base metal alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc coated with a layer of pure silver through an electrical process, becoming common in the nineteenth century.
Silver Plated Candle Light: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I identify Old Sheffield Plate?
Old Sheffield Plate was made by fusing silver and copper together before shaping, rather than applying silver electroplate to a finished metal base. Examining edges or worn high points may reveal a thin line of copper showing through the silver layer.
Pieces utilising this technique typically date from the eighteenth or early nineteenth centuries and often possess a characteristic warmth and weight.
Were telescopic candlesticks common?
Telescopic candlesticks appear frequently in Georgian and Victorian silver plate, designed so the height of the nozzle could be altered. This mechanism allowed users to adjust the flame level relative to dining tables or reading desks.
Survival of a working sliding mechanism without looseness is a notable feature in these adjustable examples.
How were chamber candlesticks used?
Chamber candlesticks were portable lighting devices fitted with a flat saucer tray to catch melting wax and a ring handle for carrying. People used them to illuminate bedrooms, stairwells, and hallways before the advent of domestic electric lighting.
Many surviving examples include a matching small conical extinguisher resting in the tray.