Pricket Candlestick

The base of this pricket candlestick bears the combined arms of Bernard VIII (d. 1339), count of Comminges, and those of his second wife, Marguerite de Turenne, alternating with the fleur de lys, the heraldic emblem of the royal house of France. Although such personal items were often commissioned as gifts to commemorate special events, coats of arms did not necessarily refer to a specific patron but were part of workshops' decorative repertoire.

This candlestick could have been used in a domestic space where only a small area needed to be lit, such as a lady’s sewing table. The term “pricket” refers to the point upon which the candle is anchored. The fine enamel work seen here is characteristic of the region around Limoges. The support for the candle at the base of the pricket is missing.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Baron Pichon, Paris, ca. 1897, by purchase; John E. Taylor, London, by purchase; Sale, London, 1912, no. 61; Raphael Stora, Paris and New York, by purchase; Joseph Brummer, Paris, by purchase; Brummer Sale, Parke-Bernet, New York, April 23, 1949, no. 715; Walters Art Museum, 1949, by purchase.