Chinese Ceramic Candlestand

A tall, slim black column ending in a shallow cup, like a pitcher's mound.

This glazed pottery candlestand is from Hebei Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. Candles were a main source of household light before electricity in China, and their stands appear in domestic, temple and ancestral settings. A long, smoothly tapering stem rises from a wide round foot to a shallow dish at the top. Fine spiral throwing lines cover the stem under a glossy, near-black glaze. A bare patch shows near the foot, with a dark brown tint at the rim. It is 15 inches high and 6.5 in diameter.

Plain and lean, and not asking for applause.