Candlestick 1762 - 1763

This candlestick was made by Ebenezer Coker, a silversmith active in 18th-century London. The material is, of course, silver, which would have been sourced through extensive colonial trade routes, and carefully worked by hand. Consider the amount of labour that went into this seemingly simple object. Coker would have melted, cast, and then meticulously chased the silver to create the decorative details. The fluted base and delicate stem are testament to his skill, and demonstrate the cultural importance placed on finely crafted goods. Note that the repetitive forms, precisely rendered, suggests the use of molds in the casting process. Such candlesticks would have been found in well-appointed homes, symbols of wealth and refinement. By attending to both its form and fabrication, we can appreciate how an object like this is both beautiful and revealing of wider economic and social relations. The production of luxury items such as this one involved many hands, across continents.