Candlestick (one of a pair) c. 19th century

This candlestick, one of a pair, was crafted in pewter by P. J. Joiris. Candlesticks such as these were not merely functional; they were potent symbols of wealth and status in a society deeply structured by class. Pewter, while more accessible than gold or silver, still signified a degree of affluence, marking a separation from the rough wooden implements of the poor. Imagine these candlesticks illuminating a dining table. Who would have sat in the warm glow they cast? What conversations were held? Consider the labor involved in their creation and the hands that polished them, likely those of the lower classes, rendering them invisible in the very display of wealth they enabled. The candlestick serves as a quiet reminder of the material conditions that shape our world, and the stories of those whose labor often goes unnoticed.