ANTIQUES: Early American Candle Stand

 

The early American candle stand is a very practical item, originally used to hold candlesticks at a convenient height for reading, doing needlework, writing letters, or performing other household tasks. These small tables typically feature turned pedestals with tripod feet, allowing them to be moved easily and to stand firmly on the uneven plank floors common in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century homes. The tabletops were fitted with hinges, so that they could be tilted to protect the candle flames from drafts; with the tabletop positioned upright, a candlestick would be placed on top of the pedestal.

 

This tilt-top candle stand ($2,275) has an unusual decorative cutaway design on each corner of the table surface. About twenty-five inches tall and made of burled cherry, the early nineteenth-century furnishing boasts a graceful, vase-turned pedestal and slender, curved spider legs. [September 2010]

 

THE GOODS

Saddleback Antiques
1395 Cold Spring Rd
Williamstown, Mass.