Pair of candlesticks (part of a toilet service) 1758 - 1759

These candlesticks, part of a toilet service, were made in France by Joseph Charvet in the 1700s from silver. Silver’s reflective surface gives these candlesticks a sense of luxury and elegance. The forming of the candlesticks would have started with melting raw silver, then hammering, casting, and chasing the metal into the desired form. The twisted fluting on the base, the crisp, repeating leaf patterns, and the smooth, reflective surfaces all testify to the maker’s skill. Every detail, from the weighted base to the delicate decoration, reveals a careful attention to aesthetics and the value placed on refined craftsmanship. These candlesticks show the importance of skilled labor and artisanal production during this time, and how silver objects were more than functional items; they were symbols of status and taste.