Bought this pair of English brass candlesticks at Wednesday's Long Melford Antique Fair. I also bought another four items, two of which are very interesting (one may well feature as a future 'mystery object' on this blog). In the meantime this pair of not particularly good looking brass candlesticks are this week's
MYSTERY OBJECT.
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They are seven and a half inches high, and in reasonably good condition for their age. The object of this is to guess what their age is. They are quite old. I think it might be quite fun to guess the year of their manufacture. Nearest one wins. No arguing with the umpire and no bad nuts returned.
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Went to a memorial service at noon today for a fellow townsman and a friend. He died very unexpectedly about ten days or so ago. He was, I think, one of the most cheerful and sociable people I've ever known. It was always a pleasure to meet up and exchange local news. He was an acknowledged wine expert,and a few years ago invented and marketed a board game about wines and spirits which sold very well in the Christmas season. He will be much missed here in Highdale.
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Going back to the mystery object you will see the point of the exercise when all is revealed.
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Would like to record one nice little incident yesterday. The oldest of the boys next door (who is twelve) helped us to load the car for Long Melford - as the medicine man still forbids me to do any lifting. When we got home in the early evening, the same chap trotted out and did all the heavy work of unloading the car and carried the goodies in for us; I thanked him for his efforts, slipped him a fiver, and asked him if he'd like to provide the same service for the next Long Melford Fair ? The nice incident is that later in the evening he put a note through our door. In very neat handwriting it said :- Dear Mike and Ann, Thank you so much for the £5 that you gave me for helping you today. I look forward to doing it again. From Tom.
I thought that very civil of him, and, in view of the bad press that today's youngsters sometimes get, it was VERY reassuring.
Good night all.
9 comments:
A. They're not a pair. (One is obviously taller than the other)
B. They're not brass. (Distinct hint of orange = bell metal)
C. They're not candlesticks. (There's got to be a catch, which in they're case is really a trigger 'cause they're actually a pair of well disguised dueling pistols with daggers hidden in their butts;)
Silly me!
I've got it really:
1817, the latter half :)
The candlesticks were probably made on Tuesday 25th September 1742. Their colour suggests a small proportion of lead in the alloy (before 1820)and there appear to be vertical seams (after 1700). Their definition has been considerably rounded down by decades of handling & polishing and their sconce-pans are seriously distorted indicating considerable usage. They are small and rather plain in style, a photo of the underside might help to determine the time of day they were made... or at least give me a little more confidence in my wild guess.
They were from two over-sized games of Cluedo where their use was more extermination than illumination. Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory would be my best guess.
Otherwise 1729. I thought I'd be clever and tell Crowbard that 25/9/1742 was a Wednesday but by Timothy he's right!
Hi Rog, I always ask Timothy his opinion on such matters!
Cheers, Carl
Wild guess - 1890.
What a nice boy to have next door. I'll bet he's good with computers too.
I have nothing to contribute with regard to the candle sticks.
On the subject of your charming young neighbour I would like to say: Awwww, bless!
Now that's a brilliant thought Pat - re computer skills of young gentleman next door. I'll ask him.
P.s. The date of the candlesticks' manufacture (1809) is shown on the next blog entry, Friday September the 6th. Nea's guess of 1817, is easily the nearest. I congratulate me daughter; and I congratulate meself on how well I must have trained her.
Hope she doesn't read this comment though. You know how intolerant the young can be (especially of the sense of humour of their elders and begetters).
Don't worry, I haven't read it ;)
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