Candle Snuffer with Tray 1751

Curator: What an elegant piece. Here we have Joachim Martin’s “Candle Snuffer with Tray," created around 1751. It’s crafted from silver and showcases delicate engraving. Editor: My initial impression is how contradictory it feels. It’s a tool associated with ending, snuffing out light, but executed with such ornate and almost celebratory detail. It is not functional-looking. Curator: Exactly. Think about the ritual of extinguishing candles in the 18th century. Candlelight was precious. Snuffing a candle marked the end of an evening, a transition from activity to rest, but also of reflection in this case, given the tray. It speaks volumes. Editor: And this particular piece being rendered in silver…silverware carried significant weight, status in European society, didn’t it? Curator: Absolutely. Silver served as a display of wealth and sophistication. Even the seemingly mundane act of putting out a candle could be elevated. The Rococo style with all its flourish certainly adds to that, embedding this object within a courtly sphere. Editor: It’s intriguing how an object seemingly designed to end something, becomes a symbol of cultural and economic power. One can't ignore it becomes almost paradoxical. Are we invited to meditate about "endings" being celebrations or sad events? Curator: Yes, objects like this also show us that even something as simple as snuffing out a light was a ritual laden with symbolic value and reflective of the prevailing cultural trends. This era experienced candlelight differently from how we know light nowadays: darkness was perceived as another space and the use of these type of silvered instruments becomes meaningful, reflecting cultural beliefs of the era. Editor: Considering this piece helps us connect with past meanings behind very common light instruments helps think that all art has a very similar function in time, whether it intends it or not. Curator: A great consideration and one of the powerful elements behind historical objects as sources for knowledge, absolutely. Thank you. Editor: Thanks to you. It certainly gives new weight to the expression "burning the candle at both ends".