Candlestand
Unknown Artist
ca. 1800
Medium
Mahogany, birch
Dimensions
27 3/4 x 19 3/4 x 14 1/2 in. (70.5 x 50.2 x 36.8 cm)
Classification
Candle stand
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Members of the Committee of the Bertha King Benkard Memorial Fund, 1946
Accession Number
46.67.121
Art Historical Context
This graceful candlestand, crafted around 1800 from rich mahogany and birch, exemplifies refined furniture of early Federal America. Standing at just under 28 inches tall with a compact 19¾-by-14½-inch footprint, it was designed as a versatile occasional table—perfect for holding candles to illuminate intimate parlors or bedside areas before widespread gas or electric lighting. The choice of mahogany, a luxurious imported hardwood, speaks to the aspirations of prosperous households during the young republic's neoclassical era, when furniture makers drew inspiration from British and ancient Rom...