Candlestick (part of a service) 1739

This porcelain candlestick was created at the Meissen Manufactory. It is adorned with a cherubic figure—a motif tracing back to classical antiquity, where winged youths symbolized divine love and protection. Observe how this symbol, once linked to pagan Eros, was adopted by Christianity, transforming into the angel we now recognize. The image of cherubs, messengers of God, proliferated through Renaissance art and beyond. In this candlestick, the cherub bears a coat of arms. This is a powerful reminder of how these symbols are inextricably linked to the history of wealth and power. The cherub becomes more than just a religious figure; it becomes a decorative element signifying status and luxury. Like a persistent dream, the cherub resurfaces, forever changed yet perpetually carrying echoes of its origins, its form adapting to the whims and desires of each epoch. The past is never truly gone; it lingers, transformed, in the symbols we continue to create and cherish.