Featured Pyrography / painted wood candle holder? with poppies

This caught my eye so I brought it home. It's 10 inches tall (26cm). Decorated with poppies. Assuming it's a candle holder (wish I had a pair of them), the opening at the top is 1.5 inches in diameter and 3.5 inches deep.

Looks like it was turned on a lathe and then decorated using pyrography and painted. I love the poppies, and that about sums up my opinion on this Anyhow - probably impossible to tell but - thinking this is probably continental European but I don't know how to narrow down from there. Seems to have some age on it to me - maybe early to mid 20th? Thanks for taking a look!

 

I think it is very nice, Aaron!

 

Striking!

 

LOVE IT !!! ... Joy. ..

 

Very nice.

 

Pyrography was often done by a hobbyist.
They sold kits with patterns to use.

Popular during the early 1900s.

Forgot to say that is a lovely piece.
And thinking about the Poppies, might be WWI era.

 

Thanks Pat!

 

That is the most beautiful pyrography item I have ever seen!

It seems that it would take some skill for a hobbyist to work with the curved surface so well.

 

Someone liked Moorcroft. I'd agree on it being just post WW1, when the poppy thing really got going. It is very like much Art Nouveau pottery in style, too.

 

Thanks OBB, spot on with the moorcroft comparison!

 

I don’t think a 1-1/2” x 3-1/2” cup is for a candle, not sure what though.
Is there writing in there?

 

No writing, just random variations of color. Hmmmm cant think of what other purpose that hole would serve....

 

Looks dangerously top heavy for use as a candle holder. Is the well the right size for a taper?

 

You're probably right ...although it's not quite as top heavy as it might appear. The opening is too big for a taper, but would perhaps fit certain pillar candles. It's 1 1/2" in diameter and 3 1/2" deep.

 

Thanks INH - that search does bring up some fairly similar items!

 

Good chance this is one of the Flemish Art Co. pieces. In trying to discover what your "vase/candlestick" is I came across a very interesting site.

This explains a little better about pyrography kits. Why some appear better done than others. Also may have been manufactured.

"According to antique collectors Richard and Carole Smyth of Huntington, NY, in their book, The Burning Passion, the factories were not only manufacturing the pyrographic kits, including instructions, unfinished wood pieces for the hobbyist to buy and decorate, and paints to further enhance the woodburned items, they were also selling some unfinished wood items with a design pre-stamped on them (usually in purple or brown ink) for the hobbyist to burn over. Not only that, they were supplying some unfinished wood pieces with a design already pyroengraved by means of a heated engraving plate, ready for the hobbyist to paint only. This type of preparation is called "scorched" and is also sometimes referred to as "stamped" (not to be confused with those stamped with ink)."
From the bottom of this page
http://carverscompanion.com/Ezine/Vol2Issue1/Menendez/Antiquep2.html

The home page
http://pyromuse.org/index.html