Pair of Monumental Nuremberg Brass Pricket Candlesticks

A rare and important pair of monumental brass pricket candlesticks from Nuremberg, the foremost centre of brass founding within the Holy Roman Empire during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Cast in brass and retaining their original iron prickets, each candlestick is surmounted by a broad drip pan above a finely articulated stem composed of a sequence of lathe-turned knops and mouldings, raised on a substantial stepped circular base.

The design exemplifies the transition from the Late Gothic to the Early Renaissance aesthetic in South German metalwork. The strong vertical emphasis, architectural silhouette and rhythmic arrangement of mouldings derive from the Gothic tradition, while the increasing regularity of proportion and restrained treatment of ornament anticipate Renaissance design principles. Candlesticks of this type were produced for ecclesiastical foundations, wealthy merchant households and princely interiors, reflecting the prosperity and artistic sophistication of Nuremberg during the first half of the sixteenth century.

Nuremberg’s brass founders enjoyed an international reputation, exporting luxury metalwork throughout northern Europe. Pricket candlesticks of this form are among the most iconic survivals of the city’s metalworking industry and are represented in leading museum collections. Their enduring appeal lies in the harmonious balance between Gothic monumentality and emerging Renaissance refinement.

The present pair survives in exceptional condition with a deep, rich historic patina and excellent colour throughout. Their impressive scale, elegant proportions and remarkable state of preservation place them amongst the finest surviving examples of early sixteenth-century German brasswork.

Provenance
Jan Roelofs Antiquairs, Amsterdam, specialists in Medieval and Renaissance works of art since 1970.