Pair of candlesticks 1780 - 1795

These candlesticks were crafted in Sheffield, England, by John Parsons & Co. from silver, using a combination of casting, raising, and chasing techniques. The material, silver, is critical here: it is ductile and malleable, and can be worked intricately with hand tools. In the absence of maker's marks or dates, the fluted patterns and overall Neoclassical design, suggest a late 18th to early 19th-century date. The techniques involved—raising the main forms from sheet metal, casting the decorative elements, and then chasing details—require many hours of labour, making these objects signs of wealth. Note, too, that silver tarnishes, meaning that these candlesticks would have required frequent polishing, another indication of surplus labor. By considering the material, the making, and the social context, we can fully understand objects like these, which sit between design, craft, and fine art.