Candelabra

Derived from the Latin word "candelabrum," meaning candlestick, the term candelabra refers to a large branched candleholder with two or more arms. By the 19th century, candelabras were commonplace on the evening dinner table and had become a showcase for decorative arts of the time.

Pressed-glass candlesticks were common in the urban hubs of 19th-century America. In England, potteries such as Wedgwood produced enameled porcelain and Jasperware candlesticks, while designers like Georg Jensen of Denmark made modernist pieces out of sterling silver. The most ornate varieties were girandoles, which refer to a Rococo style candlestick or candelabra whose branches incorporated dripping cut-glass crystal used to scatter light throughout a room.

Candelabras were eventually replaced with oil lamps and later the incandescent bulb, but antique candelabras are still highly coveted artifacts.

Quick Facts

• In the Jewish faith, a Menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum used in the temple and a Hanukiah is a nine-branched candelabrum used for the festival of Hanukkah
• Liberace, a flamboyant pianist who came to wide-spread popularity during the 1960s and 70s, always played with a candelabrum resting on top of his piano
• In Paracus, Peru, there is a giant carving of a candelabra in a seaside cliff used by the indigenous population who lived in the area from 1300 BC to 200 CE