CANDLE HOLDER

An adjustable copper-alloy candleholder. There are three main components of the candleholder, the socket, stem and folding arm. The socket is formed by a sub-rectangular copper-alloy sheet which is curled to form a slightly tapering cone. On the opposite side to the socket's sheet join is the stem. This is formed from two long copper-alloy strips, one on the interior of the socket, the other on the exterior, both now bent. The lower ends of the stem are incomplete, and one is broken at the start of a central slot. Originally these two strips would have been joined at a fold, with a slot cut into the fold to accommodate the hinged arm. The stem is riveted onto the socket with a copper-alloy rivet. Above the rivet attaching the stem is a third copper-alloy strip, the lower broken end of which overlies the exterior half of the stem. At the top of this third strip is a lozenge-shaped terminal, through which a copper-alloy rivet holds it to the socket. The side corners of the terminal are folded forwards to form a very small rudimentary socket. Similar small rudimentary sockets exist on other folding candleholders and Wise (2002) suggests that these smaller sockets may have held slender rushlights.

The candleholder is incomplete, as it is missing its hinged arm and another component, termed by Egan (1998) and Wise (2002) a 'folding tab'. The hinged arm would have had a pointed end to allow it to be fixed into a crack in a table-top or wall or, perhaps, a separate wooden base. Surviving arms have three notches in their hinge which allow the 'folding tab' to fix the candleholder in three positions; fully closed, fully open (for use on a table-top or other horizontal surface) and open at right angles (for use on a wall or other vertical surface). Most of the candleholder's surface has a dark green patina, otherwise it is abraded. The candleholder measures 51.82mm from the socket rim to the lower edges of the arm, and 17.34mm wide across the socket. The socket measures 12.22mm maximum internally. It weighs 9.72g.

Philip Wise has compared nine examples of folding candleholders and has dated them to the late 14th or 15th century (2002, 122). He suggests that they may have been used by travelling merchants.