Italian Retrofitted Candlestick Lamp

Gilded, scrolled and wired for the twenty-first century.

This carved wooden candlestick, made in Venice, Italy, in the 18th century, has been retrofitted as a lamp. Tall altar-style candlesticks of this form were commonly used in Italian churches and palaces, and they convert well to table or floor lamps. The shaft swells and narrows in turns, with knops and scrolled leaf carving, and rests on a tripod base with curling feet. Gilding covers the surface, dark in the recesses. A black tapered shade tops the electrified fitting.

About 39 inches tall. Baroque posture, modern bulb.