Flemish Late Renaissance Brass Candlestick with Bell Drip Pan

A finely cast late 16th-century brass candlestick of small scale, with tubular socket pierced by lateral apertures, raised on a short baluster stem above a wide bell-shaped drip pan, all supported on a moulded circular base. The bell pan is an especially desirable feature, designed both to catch wax and to emphasise the architectural profile of the piece.
Candlesticks of this type were produced in Flemish workshops during the late Renaissance, a period when the brass-founding industry of the Low Countries was at its height. Cast in sand moulds and finished on the lathe, such candlesticks were prized both for domestic use and for export across Europe. Their compact size and elegant form reflect the balance between utility and ornament typical of late 16th-century Netherlandish metalware.