Candle extinguisher 1766 - 1767

Charles-François Lautran crafted this silver candle extinguisher in the 18th century. Simple in form, its conical shape speaks volumes. It represents not just the act of putting out a flame, but also a symbolic end, a cessation. Consider the age-old symbolism of light and darkness. Light, often associated with knowledge, life, and divinity, is here being deliberately extinguished. The extinguisher, in its stark utilitarianism, becomes an agent of closure, a terminator of illumination. This motif echoes in various cultural practices—funerals, for instance, where candles are put out to signify the end of life. The conical form itself is potent. Think of obelisks reaching towards the heavens in ancient Egypt or the pointed hats of medieval clerics. The shape directs our gaze upwards, yet here it is used to snuff out light, a compelling contradiction. The image of the extinguisher resonates with our subconscious understanding of endings, a stark reminder of mortality and the transient nature of existence.