Chamber candlestick (one of a pair) 1774

Curator: Here we have one of a pair of Chamber Candlesticks crafted in 1774 by Pehr Zethelius. These pieces are made of silver and currently reside at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: Immediately I get this old-world opulent feel. It is an almost story-book like charm. I picture servants lighting these and tiptoeing down halls. It almost demands to be held aloft! Curator: Well, that domestic imagery fits. These candlesticks served as portable light sources within private homes. The drip pan catches wax, of course, and the handle, often ornamented like this one, made them easy to carry from room to room. This points to larger trends. The growth of personal space within homes. Editor: I notice this little fellow on the side here— it feels both organic and ornate at the same time. I see what you mean. Instead of torches jammed in walls it's delicate like the age of "teatime." And it wants to be noticed by others! Curator: Right! Notice how the piece’s rococo aesthetic blends function and display. Silversmiths like Zethelius catered to the elite class by merging practical objects with artistic flourish. This reflected their wealth but also reinforced a particular vision of taste. How could having beautifully adorned implements possibly make men feel? Or treat their neighbors? Editor: In its reflective finish and organic ornamentation there is a blurring of nature and artifice. Think what it would do when dancing candlelight shimmers off the curves! Makes you wonder how one views the world holding this little shiny companion... like carrying secrets maybe? Curator: Exactly. These objects were powerful communicators of status and influence and social place, a soft signal in a noisy world. Their creation and usage tells a broader social history that encompasses not just artistic skill but economic structures and systems of patronage as well. Editor: I feel as if its a tangible reminder of days of hushed whispers. Of silk brushing over polished wood and so on, where every tiny detail mattered and added up to much larger meaning than the object held itself. It would be interesting to go to that party in time to get my impression. Curator: Indeed. By examining works like these, we shed light on these objects but on an era's values, aesthetics, and power structures as well, each artifact being a little cultural microcosm in themselves. Editor: Precisely! They encourage us to re-imagine the intimacy between people and their possessions long, long ago. I am glad that museums help people keep them here where their meanings keep growing!