At the moment, I am gloating over my latest candle stick acquisition for which I drove into the depths of Wiltshire to collect yesterday.It dates from around 1680 - 1700 by the look of it, but - like I say - I'm still learning. I don't think it has ever been cleaned in it's long life and it shows signs of the original silver-plating on the foot.
In the days before electricity was tamed, to plate an object like this in silver meant that - if you did nothing else for a living - you would be either dead, mad or both by the time you were about 40. Silver was suspended in mercury which you applied to the de-greased metal, then burnt off to leave a deposit of the less volatile metal behind. The mercury would produce clouds of toxic steam in the small workshops, and it would be breathed in by all around.
Georgian and Victorian hatters used mercury when 'knapping' the felt on tall hats, hence the term used in this title.
I won't be re-silvering it, but I might give it a going over with acetone to get rid of all the old wax and dirt. Can't wait for Christmas.
Mad as a hatter - I never realised where the term came from!
ReplyDeleteI've just been cleaning up my bronze art nouveau figurine that I bought at auction. She's far from perfect (a bit like me) but I like her very much. I bought some Renaissance micro crystalline wax which has given her a really nice sheen. It's brilliant stuff.
Made to last, n'est pas! Is it missing an insert at the top, or was the concave base designed to trap the dripped wax? Very nice. Worth the trip into foreign fields.
ReplyDeleteIts lovely - why wait until Christmas ? use it now ! interesting post.
ReplyDeleteShow us your figurine, Sue?
ReplyDeleteIt's not missing anything, Cro - the concave bit was to catch wax, as well as resting your clay pipe in etc, before the invention of ash-trays and paper-clips. The earlier ones often had large trays halfway up, but that was because they tended to use tallow for the candles, which guttered and dribbled a lot more than expensive beeswax. These trays were often left off in later designs as a mark of affluence - the householder could be seen to afford beeswax, so didn't need a big tray.
I might use them soon, Janet - once I have got around to making the beeswax candles...
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ReplyDeleteShe's called 'Night'! (see profile)
ReplyDeletei really like that. acetone should bring it up even better.
ReplyDeleteNice, Sue. I'd give her one.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful!!! Old and all!! The lucky Christmas recipient!!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful in its simplicity. I hope at Christmas you will put a white candle in it, I think a red one would completely spoil the effect.
ReplyDeleteI had heard that about the hatters and your candleholder is just lovely, even more so, the history it must hold. Why isn't MY husband into stuff like this?! Just wonderful, Tom. Ann
ReplyDeleteAnn - listen to me, Baby. Yeah... come closer and just listen to me...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0I6mhZ5wMw
Photogragh it for us again after the acetone please. It has wonderful patina. To think how old it is!
ReplyDeleteOk, Olive, and thanks for humouring me with my stoopid idiosycrasies (both of which I seem to have splet rwong)
ReplyDeleteOh come on John - I'm dying to know what you wiped off (so to speak).
ReplyDeleteMe too, John! C'mon!
ReplyDeleteTom, that is a very handsome candlestick. (Candleholder?) Sturdy, too with that heavy base. (Sturdy is a good word and not a word I get to use often.) You couldn't knock it over in a hurry.
Ohhh, I'm drooling. I love old stuff. I always think of the things an old object could tell. Could we see a picture once it is cleaned?
ReplyDeleteMise likes the word 'sturdy' too, Judith. She used it on my previous candlestick picture.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll show it after a light clean, Iris - if you insist on indulging me.
Go ahead, indulge yourself! (I know that you run this blog simply for OUR enjoyment). Keep sacrificing yourself for us, your humble followers!
ReplyDeleteOh all right then.
ReplyDelete