1960.482: Candelabrum
Lighting DevicesIdentification and Creation
- Object Number
- 1960.482
- Title
- Candelabrum
- Classification
- Lighting Devices
- Work Type
- lighting device
- Date
- 1st Millennium CE
- Places
- Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Europe, Etruria
- Culture
- Unidentified culture
- Persistent Link
- https://hvrd.art/o/303997
Physical Descriptions
- Medium
- Bronze
- Technique
- Cast, lost-wax process
- Dimensions
- 32.5 x 12.5 cm (12 13/16 x 4 15/16 in.)
- Technical Details
-
Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Mixed Copper Alloy:
Point 1: Cu, 71.72; Sn, 3.64; Pb, 13.13; Zn, 9.89; Fe, 0.93; Ni, 0.05; Ag, 0.09; Sb, 0.14; As, 0.3; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, 0.012; Au, 0.098; Cd, less than 0.001
ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Leaded Bronze:
Point 2: Cu, 71.25; Sn, 7.27; Pb, 21.1; Zn, 0.005; Fe, less than 0.01; Ni, 0.01; Ag, 0.05; Sb, 0.19; As, 0.13; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.005; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. RiedererTechnical Observations: The patina is a dark brownish green with isolated spots of bright green corrosion, along with some brownish encrustations from burial. The surface of the upper cup portion is more uneven and shows more reddish oxides than the lower section, which includes the shaft, base, and feet. One leg and a portion of the base are missing, and a jagged edge and blind cracks are present along the damage, indicating brittleness of the cast bronze.
The candelabrum was cast in two sections: 1) the upper cup portion and 2) the shaft, base, and feet. The models for the two portions were shaped and finished by turning, including the decorative lines on the surface. The two sections were joined with solder, which was probably lead, where the shaft fits inside the cup. This solder appears to be modern, although burial dirt is on top of the solder in places. This dirt may have been added after excavation. A gray material can be seen inside the shaft through and inside the two extant feet.
Carol Snow and Nina Vinogradskaya (submitted 2002)
Provenance
- Recorded Ownership History
- David M. Robinson, Baltimore, MD, bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1960.
Acquisition and Rights
- Credit Line
- Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of David M. Robinson
- Accession Year
- 1960
- Object Number
- 1960.482
- Division
- Asian and Mediterranean Art
- Contact
- am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
- Permissions
-
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Descriptions
Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
This three-footed candelabrum is topped by a bell-shaped bowl with molding on the rim and base, flaring at the top and scalloped along the sides (1). The shaft of the candelabrum is elaborately modeled with sharp and rounded disc-shapes protruding (2). The base is missing one foot that has been repaired with a wooden replacement. Five protruding decorative knobs surround the conical base, which also bears two bands of incised linear decoration.
NOTES:
1. For a similar bell-shaped bowl, see J. W. Hayes, Greek, Roman, and Related Metalware in the Royal Ontario Museum: A Catalogue (Toronto, 1984) 148-49, no. 230.
2. For the style of the shaft and base, compare L. Wamser and G. Zahlhaas, eds., Rom und Byzanz: Archäologische Kostbarkeiten aus Bayern (Munich, 1998) 83-87, nos. 73, 75, and 79.
Lisa M. Anderson
Publication History
- Fogg Art Museum, The David Moore Robinson Bequest of Classical Art and Antiquities, A Special Exhibition, exh. cat., Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, 1961), p. 30, no. 239
Exhibition History
- The David Moore Robinson Bequest of Classical Art and Antiquities: A Special Exhibition, Fogg Art Museum, 05/01/1961 - 09/20/1961
Subjects and Contexts
- Roman Domestic Art
- Ancient Bronzes
Verification Level
This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu