Structure of a Candlestick

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! Candlesticks first appeared in the Middle Ages and were used exclusively until the invent of the gas and oil lamps of the 19th century.

Most candlesticks prior to the 18th century consisted of one piece of solid brass. They were very tall, standing as high as four feet, which made them very heavy. With the passing of time into the 18th century came improvements, which made it possible to cast the candlesticks with hollow stems.

The structure of the candlestick starts with a base and a stem which features either a socket to insert a candle or a pricket to impale the candle. You may also find a drip pan, although not all candlesticks came with this handy device that caught the candle drippings before hitting the furniture or floor. Not all drip pans are located mid-stem, they can also be anywhere along the stem. There is a drip pan that is completely separate from the candlestick, known as the be-beche, which are made to fit into the socket of the candlestick and then easily removed for cleaning.

To remove a candle after if had completely burned down from a hollow stem candlestick, was the usual method of poking a rod up through a hole in the bottom. On the solid core candlesticks, you will notice something referred to as the "economy hole" that is located on the socket of the candlestick. This hole goes all the way through the socket, which allows a rod to be inserted to remove the burned down candlestick.

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