Pair of Renaissance Brass Pricket Candlesticks

A pair of large Renaissance brass pricket candlesticks, each with a broad circular base, multi-knopped and moulded stem, and original wrought iron pricket. Standing over 17 inches in height, these candlesticks are substantial altar furnishings, their scale and form intended to hold tall wax tapers in ecclesiastical settings.
Produced in the renowned Nuremberg brassfounding workshops, these candlesticks reflect the city’s status as the leading European centre of metalware production during the late Gothic and early Renaissance period. Nuremberg craftsmen supplied candlesticks, alms dishes, and domestic wares across the continent, their products valued for their crisp mouldings, robust alloy, and balanced proportions. The sharply defined knops and strong verticality of this pair are characteristic of early sixteenth-century Nuremberg forms, representing the stylistic transition from Gothic to Renaissance.
In liturgical use, pricket candlesticks carried a profound symbolic meaning. The tall flame of the taper embodied Christ as the Light of the World, illuminating both the altar and the gathered faithful. The repetition of paired lights on the altar reinforced harmony, order, and the balance of sacred presence in the church interior.