Large Pic Candle Or Verge Candlestick - Golden Wood With Leaf - Period: XIXth Century

Large carved and gilded wooden candlestick, decorated with foliage, gadroons and acanthus leaves resting on a tripod base.
This sumptuous piece has been restored in our workshops and entirely gilded with 24 carat gold leaf.

Period: 19th century
Dimensions : Height : 163cm x width : 22cm
                      Width of the base : 47cm

The candlestick is a piece of church furniture present in every church and placed on the altar. It is a candle holder designed to hold a single candle. 
Its use goes back to the very origins of the church and is clearly and indissolubly linked to the symbol of Light as an expression of Faith, Hope and Resurrection of Christ.

The candlestick was once placed on the floor and only in a successive period was it placed on the altar before the beginning of the celebration to be put away after the Mass. In addition, the candlestick could be placed next to a variable number of candlesticks depending on the feast day or the celebration.

The form of the candlestick derives from its initial use as a piece of secular furniture in pre-Christian times: a foot, a stem, a tray for the wax and a spike on which to wedge the candle.
In the course of time, candlesticks became larger and larger, and more and more care was taken with their shape and decoration. 

The materials of manufacture also evolved, with extensive use of gold, silver and other precious metals, but also simpler materials such as wood and brass, depending on the means of the church.