Indian Votive Candle Holder

Plain white cylinder pinched in the middle like a bamboo section.

This marble votive candle holder is from Rajasthan, India, and dates to the 20th century. Votive candles are small candles usually burned in a holder, whether as an offering or for soft light, and stone holders are heavy enough to sit steadily on a table. Smooth, tall tumbler-shaped vessel in pale milky stone, with a gentle waist and ridged band that suggest a bamboo stalk. The surface is soft and slightly translucent, with faint cloudy marks and a clean rim.

Quiet, cool to the eye, and happily devoid of ornament.