Candlestick 19th century

This gilded brass candlestick was made by Johann Ludwig Biller, an artist born in 1692. Consider how the brass has been cast and chased, resulting in a rich surface that reflects candlelight beautifully. The inherent qualities of the brass – its ability to take intricate detail, its weight and its color – all contribute to the candlestick's elegance. The casting process itself, using molds to shape molten metal, allowed for the relatively efficient production of multiples, while the chasing, or detailing, added by hand imbues each piece with a unique touch. In the 18th century, the production of decorative objects like this one reflected a complex interplay of skilled labor and nascent industrial techniques, serving a market of increasingly wealthy consumers eager to emulate aristocratic taste. Ultimately, this candlestick is an example of how understanding materials and making processes can illuminate the broader social and economic context in which objects are created, and how those processes challenge traditional boundaries between art, craft, and design.