Chinese Lotus Form Candle Stand

A lotus that opens at the top and keeps burning.

This lotus-form candle stand was cast in bronze in China in the 20th century. Lotus stands are often associated with Buddhist offerings, where light is set before an altar. A cup of layered lotus petals sits at the top. Below it the stem is ribbed in a tight spiral, and the foot spreads into a domed base with carved, overlapping petals. The surface is dark green and brown, with a pale verdigris in the recesses.

About eight inches tall and four across at the base. A pair of these would make a quiet altar of any shelf.