Rare Anthropomorphic Two-candle Candlestick – Renaissance – High Middle Ages – Candlestick

19th century – In the style of the High Middle Ages
Germany
Patinated bronze

A rare and curious anthropomorphic two-candle candlestick in patinated bronze, depicting a standing, crowned man with his arms raised and spread wide to support two circular candle holders with scalloped edges, topped by tall conical cups.

The figure has a particularly stylized and slender silhouette: long, tapered legs; a flared torso forming a tunic with angular sleeves; a belt adorned with a latticework pattern; and a bearded face crowned with a crown. The entire piece rests on an elegant tripod base with curved legs.

This candlestick is based on a type of “Männleinleuchter,” literally “little man candlestick,” belonging to the repertoire of Germanic Renaissance lighting fixtures.

A very similar antique model is preserved at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich, under inventory number MA 3527. Examples made in the 19th and 20th centuries based on this Renaissance model are also documented on the German art market.

Our example can thus be linked to 19th-century German historicist productions, a period during which bronze casters readily drew upon the forms and models of the Renaissance and the High Middle Ages.

The quality of the casting is particularly pleasing, especially in the rendering of the bearded face, the crown, and the belt. The bronze retains a very beautiful antique brown patina, nuanced in places, with some natural wear occasionally revealing the lighter bronze beneath.

An object that is both sculptural and functional, with a surprisingly modern silhouette despite its Renaissance inspiration.

Height: 23 cm.

Condition: very good overall condition. Wear, small marks, and variations in the patina are consistent with the object’s age.

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