Description:
Pair of solid-cast brass candlesticks, sometimes known as a "Heemskirk'' type after Jacob van Heemskirk and William Barentz who led a Dutch merchant fleet in 1596 in the attempt to navigate a route to China via northern Russia and Asia. Their fleet was stranded on Novaya Zembala, two Arctic islands off the coast of Russia where they spent the winter of 1596-7 and Barentz died; in the spring, what remained of the crew managed to return to Holland, leaving much of their gear behind. In 1871 and 1876, two expeditions found these remains, which included similar pewter candlesticks. This form, made in many European base-metalworking centers, was popular from the mid 17th through the mid 18th centuries and perhaps longer for its stablility, wide drip catcher, and easy assembly by the maker of the various separate castings. The candlesticks have one small round hole in the socket to eject candle stubs, molded rings and a down-turned flange rim; over ring turnings and a ridged-ball knop; over a mid-level shallow saucer-shaped drip pan; over ring turnings and a ridged baluster egg-shaped knop; over a domed base with a molded stepped circular foot. The ridged ball-like knop was in style up to about the middle of the 17th century. Potter Inventory No. 77. Condition: good, clean condition P.086 Slight amount of solder around base of stem on underside
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