Candlestick c. 1905 - 1918

Here at the Minneapolis Institute of Art are two candlesticks, made by the Handicraft Guild of Minneapolis between 1904 and 1918, sometime before they closed. I'm thinking about how these were made—hammered, shaped, burnished—an act of bringing something into being, not just copying an idea of a candlestick. The metalworker is feeling it out, responding to how the material wants to behave, where it wants to go. Imagine being in the workshop, the light catching the gold, the ringing of the hammer. The metal itself has so much to say. They aren't just making candlesticks; they're exploring form, light, and how these objects can bring a sense of calm and beauty into a room. This Guild, like so many others, was thinking about what it means to make something, not just produce it. They must have been looking at each other's work, talking, and sharing ideas, inspiring each other to see the possibilities of what metal can be. It’s an ongoing conversation that we artists are still having today.