Candle Snuffers 1711 - 1712

Curator: This piece, called "Candle Snuffers", was crafted by Joseph Bird, who lived from 1635 to 1735. It's currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's something melancholic about it, isn't there? The cold, gleaming silver, the function being the end of something... Curator: Candle snuffers were crucial in a world lit by flame, beyond mere utility they symbolize control over light and, metaphorically, knowledge or even life itself. Editor: How fascinating that even something so mundane was a signifier for social standing, the control over such tools became almost performative. Curator: Exactly! The engraved crest further emphasizes exclusivity. Editor: A reminder of the societal structures intertwined with everyday life. Curator: It’s remarkable how a simple object can hold such layers of meaning. Editor: It really makes you appreciate how objects become relics of social status.