Chinese Candle Base with Lotus Motif

Tall dark blossom perches on a stem above a carved leaf pad.

This candle base with a lotus motif in camphor wood is from Putian, Fujian Province, China, and is contemporary. A candle base like this holds a candle or cup upright on a carved stand, so the form of the base is the main decorative element. Two-part stand. A cup-like flower of rounded petals sits on a short waist, and below it spreads a wide base carved with lobed ribs and scalloped edges. The finish is dark brown-black with a soft sheen. It is 11.5 inches wide, 11.5 deep and 8 high.

A flower that brought its own lily pad.