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Identification 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. Riederer

Technical 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