Old looking brass candlestick identification

Could anyone put a date on this brass candlestick, french perhaps ?

 

Baroque style? Louis XIV? With the business of scrolls, etc... Baroque style came to mind. If ???baroque, not of that era, but in that style. Do wait for others to chime in on style and age.

--- Susan

 

Wellllll, I just noticed the bobeches have a distinct notch. To be perfectly honest now, I don't know what style they are and not sure if they have any good age to them. Again wait for others to chime in.

--- Susan

 

Is it brass?... Looks like spelter.

 

Dates in 2nd half of 20th C, imo. Not sure what metal but making a deep scratch inside the base will reveal gray or silvery color if shelter. The bottom edge of the base shows clear parallel grooves from a power tool like a belt sander. There is no wear (from use) on that surface.

 

Thanks for you input guys

It's defo brass though, I checked when I bought it. Here's a few up close where I tested it. It's smells like brass and not magnetic at all

What do you think about giving it a decent clean up job, do you reckon it would come up nice ?

 

Oh! If it is brass it definitely should be cleaned. If there is slight age patina onto brass surface - it is cute, but there is NO any charm if brass item covered with tarnish, discoloration spots or partial heavy patina. I am using Brasso for cleaning brass: clean with Brasso, than buff with old cotton towel, but then (!) I wash item in the hot water with a little any clear dishwasher soap and use baby tooth brash for clean out left over of Brasso from small places at your item, or otherwise after Brasso will be dry it will be changed to green color and "stick" to your item.

 

Here in the US, we prefer that brass have patina on it. Many will cringe at your suggestion to polish.

Sure this isn't gilt brass or bronze? While I don't think this is a period piece, that square nut on the bottom suggests some age.

 

Hi, yeah I agree actually, I would say at least victorian age wise

While it looks made of brass, at least the base does, it has been decorated in gold gilt, suppose could be bronze

I found an identical one online which was louis xv, bronze with gilt

So it's either of that age or reproduction

 

A more knowledgeable person (than I) would be able to estimate age based on the interesting production method used. It seems that it was made in 4 pieces, the cast base, machined spool, cast stick, and bobeche. The two large cast parts were done separately to optimize flask use. Base is short and wide, so cast it in a short, square flask, Stick is long and narrow, so cast it in a narrow, oblong flask. Machine the Connecting spool on a lathe. I haven't done any searches to see when this type of production was first used for candlesticks

 

If you will read my post again, it is exactly what I said: "age patina is cute". But I don't see any "age patina" on it. Some places on it are shiny, other are almost gray (more looks like damaged). It is same like find some antique dirty piece of furniture in the basement, bring it home, but don't clean it, because "there is ANTIQUE dust on it"..
P.S. "Here in the US" / I am wondering, why "Here in the WORLD" people are not cringing in the museums because of cleaned and restored rarities.

 

Hi, the shiny bits are leftover gilt, I'm hoping that the bits that look grey will clean up like the edge I tested

Fingers crossed I'm giving it a ruddy good clean up anywayz

Will post a pic after cleaning

 

If I have some silver plated antique items (usually trays) for sale, but they with heavy tarnish, I am cleaning them before sale. At the beginning I was selling them just as is (tried protect buyers from "cringing" ), but once I had a problem with buyer, because he cleaned it and found that there is silver coating was almost gone and everywhere were copper spots. Finally I returned money and lost almost $35 for shipping (both way). Now I am cleaning everything! Silver Plated and Sterling Items should be "Silver"; Brass - should be "gold" and crystal should be "shiny"! Also all "Antique dust" I just "keep home".

 

Yeah I'm with you on that one wanttoknow, item needs to look as attractive as possible, not caked with grime !

 

I have to ask about "I found an identical one..." If found on some for-sale site, what assurance do you have that their description was accurate/truthful? If found on a site maintained by a reputable museum, should be more reliable.

 

http://www.dalvabrothers.com/frenchantiques.asp?stockID=530

Here's the ones I found that look very similar in style, very difference in condition !!!

Springfield do you see any production similarities or are they chalk and cheese

Perhaps mine is a copy of this style ?

 

Thx for link. I've seen that same style base before both in items posted here and elsewhere, enuf to be sure that's a real antique French style.

The piece at the link grants my wish to see other pieces with spools inserted between major sections of the piece. It looks to me like the linked piece has two spools, one above base and other above longest piece. I doubt if a seller like Dalva would risk embarrassment by advertising a repro so I'm going to conclude that spool inserts were used at least some centuries back.

I still don't understand what look like power belt-sander marks on edge of base but they could be from a water-powered grindstone too.

I don't know candlesticks well, but at this point I can't think of any reason it couldn't have been made at the same time as the linked one.

 

If u are going to keep it, go ahead and try to polish it, if it turns out uneven it won't matter. If u r going to sell it leave it alone unless u r going to have it professionally polished as was done with the Dalva piece. Polishing shops have rotary bench-polishers that use buffing wheels that can get into crevices; you could spend days trying to get similar results with manual methods.

 

Top info Springer, thanks for the advice

 

It appears ormolu is the keyword for describing this style of candlestick

I'm beginning to think it's quite old now actually