Antique Brass Candlesticks Set of 2 — Empire Style with Anthemion Detail, circa 1880

Before electricity, these were the main event. A pair of solid cast brass candlesticks from around 1880, in the Empire style that was still very much the language of quality domestic metalwork in the late 19th century. They are heavy, they are handsome, and they have been holding candles with quiet dignity for over 140 years.

Each candlestick has a beautifully proportioned profile: a wide, flat drip tray at the top, a graceful baluster stem with a decorative knobbel, and a substantial stepped circular base — all in warm, polished brass that has developed a lovely depth of colour over the decades. The standout detail is the band of engraved anthemion (palmleaf) motifs that runs around both the knobbel and the base rim — a classic Empire and Regency decorative element that gives these candlesticks their refined, architectural character.

Both candlesticks retain their original removable bobèches — the loose brass rings that sit at the top to catch dripping candle wax. This is a hallmark of quality 19th-century candlestick design, and the fact that both bobèches are present and matching is a genuine bonus. The bases show the characteristic concentric turning marks of hand-finished cast brass production.

• Set of: 2 matching candlesticks
• Style: Empire / late Victorian
• Origin: England or France, circa 1880
• Material: Solid cast brass
• Dimensions: 21.5 cm height × 11 cm base diameter (each)
• Total weight: 990 grams (approx. 495g each)
• Features: Removable bobèches (both present), engraved anthemion decoration
• Condition: Antique — minor wear and slight distortion to bases consistent with 140+ years of age and use; no cracks or structural damage

Light them up on a dining table, a mantelpiece, or a sideboard. They work with taper candles, they work with pillar candles, and they work with the kind of dinner party where someone inevitably says "we should do this more often."

⚠️ WARNING: These candlesticks are so atmospherically Victorian that lighting them may cause spontaneous urges to write letters by hand, serve soup in tureens, and address your guests by their surnames. Maison de L'oro accepts no responsibility for any subsequent formality, or for the discovery that candlelit dinners are actually much better than you remembered.