Description: Silver taperstick with an hexagonal base, which is marked with a crown over "Co" (mark unclear) attributed to Matthew Cooper, and the date letter "B" for 1717-1718 and the London hallmarks - Britannia and lion's head erased. Cooper was first apprenticed to his brother, Robert, on Jan. 20, 1693, and Robert Bird on May 19, 1693, and registered his mark in 1702. Matthew Cooper's mark appears most often on candlesticks, and examples of snuffers and stands bearing his mark are also known.Tapersticks were made to hold small candles called tapers that were commonly used to melt wax for sealing documents and were often found on candle slides, secretaries, and tea tables. They were also known to be used for lighting tobacco in clay pipes, illumination, and producing a sweet smell.
Link to share this object record: https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+75.183 |