Chamber candlestick 1810 - 1820

Editor: Here we have a silver chamber candlestick, dating from around 1810 to 1820. It's beautifully crafted, with a little extinguisher hanging off the side on a delicate chain. I find the object quite fascinating because of its duality, mixing functionality with this rather posh decorative style. What do you make of it? Curator: Well, the Neoclassical style is important to note; it wasn't merely about aesthetics, but signaled a deliberate return to perceived virtues of republican Rome, a very charged political statement at the time. Consider how objects like this were consumed, how the owner's identity and aspirations were literally shaped by interaction with such pieces. This isn't just a candlestick; it's a declaration. Do you think its functionality and material speak to different audiences then versus now? Editor: I do, and hadn't considered the social signaling inherent in owning something like this back then. I suppose it's easy to detach from that context now and only see its function or decorative value. It does seem, perhaps, like quite an intimate object, wouldn't you say? The owner would hold it every night... Curator: Exactly! And who were these owners? Predominantly, we're talking about a specific class, likely men, asserting dominance and conforming to strict social protocols. A seemingly innocuous item reflects much wider power dynamics in that society. Can we divorce its beauty from these factors? Or must they be intertwined? Editor: It is difficult, if not impossible. I realize I came at this initially just appreciating the object, and not interrogating it. Now I see so many more dimensions, and definitely understand the era in a more material way. Thanks! Curator: It's by engaging these dimensions that we prevent artifacts such as this candlestick from being entombed within their aesthetic appeal, and give a better sense of those power structures. Glad we could share thoughts!