Brass candle holder featuring a perched bird figurine.

Foundry workers in workshops across Europe and Asia cast decorative brass items like this using traditional sand-moulding techniques. Such pieces were produced during the twentieth century to serve as decorative table ornaments and ambient lighting accessories for domestic interiors. The metal was melted and poured into moulds, then hand-chased and polished to create ornate floral and animal details that recalled earlier historic styles.

Homeowners placed these candelabra on dining tables, mantelpieces, and sideboards to hold taper candles during evening meals and social gatherings. They provided warm illumination in rooms before electric lighting became universal and remained popular as decorative accents long after. Eventually, their primary use shifted from functional lighting to purely decorative display on shelves and display cabinets.