Candelabra

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A pair of candelabras with three branches, empty of candles. Kandelabrar, sengustavianskt Stockholmsarbete.jpg
A pair of candelabras with three branches, empty of candles.

A candelabra (plural candelabras) or candelabrum (plural candelabra or candelabrums) is a candle holder with multiple arms. [1] [2] [3] Although candelabras have been used to describe chandeliers, candelabras can be distinguished as objects that are placed on a surface such as the floor, stand, or tabletop, unlike chandeliers which are hung from the ceiling. [4]

Contents

The Romans used the term to describe a form of ornamental lighting, [5] which may be a tall stand that supports a lamp. In Judaism, the menorah and hanukkiah are special kinds of candelabras. Candelabras are also found in churches, some of which may be used in church ceremonies such as Tenebrae, and in certain Eastern Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church liturgy as the dikirion and trikirion. Candelabras in the form of branched candlesticks also became popular in homes as decorative lighting.

In modern times, electricity has relegated candleholders to decorative use, interior designers nevertheless continue to model light fixtures and lighting accessories after candelabra and candlesticks. Accordingly, the term candelabra is commonly used to describe small light bulbs used in chandeliers and other lighting fixtures made for decoration as well as lighting.

Etymology

Candelabra used for state occasions at the Belgian court (1960) 1960 Royal Court of Belgium.jpg
Candelabra used for state occasions at the Belgian court (1960)

The first known use of candelabra in English was in 1776, [6] and candelabrum in 1811. [7] The word came from Latin, in which candēlābrum (candela, candle, -b(a) rum, holder), means a "candlestick”. Candalabrum is the singular form and candēlābra is the plural. ultimately deriving from candēla , meaning "candle". [6]

While candelabra is originally the plural form of candelabrum, due to changes in English usage over time, candelabra is now popularly used as the singular form, with candelabras more frequently the plural form. [5]

Candelabra is a form of candlestick, although candlestick is now often defined as an object that holds a candle, [8] [9] while candelabra can be defined as a branched holder that supports multiple candles. [3] [10] Candelabra has been used to describe all branched candle holders, including chandelier, but a distinction can be made between a candelabra and a chandelier, with the candelabra being a candle holder placed on a surface, while the chandelier is hung from the ceiling. [4]

History

Menorah depicted in the Arch of Titus in Rome Menorah (Arc de Titus, Rome).jpg
Menorah depicted in the Arch of Titus in Rome

Candelabra was known to have been used in the ancient world. A notable example is the seven-armed candelabra or menorah, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible with instruction on its creation to Moses. [11] The menorah is depicted in the Arch of Titus following the capture of Jerusalem. The menorah has since become a symbol of Judaism and an Emblem of Israel, as well as serving as a model of seven-armed candelabras used in medieval Christian churches. [12] A bronze candelabrum was made by Callimachus for the Erechtheion in Athens, to carry the lamp sacred to Athena. In this case it is possible the lamp was suspended. [13]

While candelabra or candelabrum is now often used to mean a branched candle holder, the term has been used to describe a variety of lighting devices. A candelabra may describe a tall stand that supports a lamp. [14] [15] The Roman candelabra may consist of a stalk or reed, the upper part moulded with projecting feature to carry lights at the top, and a base resting on three lions' or griffins' feet. The origin of the term, which means a candlestick, suggests that Roman candelabra may have a disk with a spike on top to carry a wax or tallow candle (candela or funalia). Candelabras, however, can have a disk at the top to carry a lamp, and sometimes there was a hollow cup, in which resinous woods were burnt. [13]

Ancient candelabra
Candelabro Barberini, Inv. 551, prima meta del II sec. d.C., da Villa Adriana -FG.jpg
Barberini candelabrum in the Vatican Museums
Bronze candelabrum MET DP250501.jpg
Etruscan candelabrum c. 550 B.C

The Roman candelabras used in public building can be of significant size, and they may have bulky supports in stone or marble, of which many examples were found in the Thermae . These consisted of a base, often triangular, and of similar design to the small sacrificial altars, and a shaft either richly moulded or carved with the acanthus plant and crowned with a large cup or basin. Examples of the latter excavated from Hadrian's Villa are now found in the Vatican Museums. [13] Simpler tall slender candelabras with three feet were used in a domestic setting in Etruscan and Roman periods. These may be made of wood, but many made of bronze were excavated in Herculaneum and Pompeii. [16] [15] Other types of candelabras also existed in Roman times; these may consist of a figure supporting one or two branches with plates for lamps, or a type that may be placed on a table, with a pillar that has branches from which lights are suspended. [16]

Gothic candelabra in Frankfurt, Germany Frankfurt a O Kunstgeschichte 1912 101.jpg
Gothic candelabra in Frankfurt, Germany

The Roman examples seem to have served as models for many of the candelabra in the churches in Italy. [13] Liturgical services were performed with the use of candlelight, and candelabras with prickets may be used to hold the candles in churches. In the 4th century, Pope Sylvester I presented to churches with brass candelabras inlaid with silver. [17] Seven-armed candelabras, mentioned in the Bible, were also be used in various churches, including the Eastern Orthodox Church. [18] In some religious ceremonies, candelabras may be used.

A five-light candelabrum c. 1785 Five-light candelabrum (one of a pair) MET DP154303.jpg
A five-light candelabrum c. 1785

Candelabras in the form of branched candle holders were also used in the homes of wealthy. Good wax candles were expensive in the early period, while tallow candles made of animal fat were smelly, smokey and burned quickly, candle holders were therefore rare in ordinary households. [19] By the 17th century in France, César-Pierre Richelet defined candelabra as "a large room candlestick which has several branches", although candelabras existed in other forms. [20] The candelabras may be placed on a fireplace mantel, table, guéridon, and torchère, or if large, on the floor. In England in the early 18th century, candelabras may be used interchangeably with a number of terms, such as branches, chandeliers, lustres, girandoles and wall-lights. [21] Girandoles were a form of candelabras with crystals in the 17th century, but were sold as candelabras in England by the end of the 17th century. [22] Candelabras became popular in the 18th century. [23] Two-branched candelabras were then the most common, and some designs allowed the branches to be detached leaving a single candlestick. By the 19th century, silver candelabras with multiple branches were often used together with elaborate centerpieces on dinner tables. [23]

Candelabra antennas

Sutro Tower from Grandview Sutro Tower from Grandview.jpg
Sutro Tower from Grandview

In the United States and Canada,[ citation needed ] the word candelabra is used to refer to radio masts and towers with multiple transmission antennas. Sutro Tower in San Francisco and John Hancock Center in Chicago are examples of such structures. [24] Baltimore's TV stations, WMAR-TV, WBAL-TV, and WJZ-TV in 1959 built the world’s first three-antenna candelabra tower, 730 feet tall. Other examples include the Mount Royal Candelabra in Montreal, the KXTV/KOVR/KCRA Tower, KSMO Candelabra Tower, KMBC/KCWE Candelabra Tower, the Madison Community Candelabra Tower in Madison.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanukkah</span> Jewish holiday

Hanukkah is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple at the beginning of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temple menorah</span> Ancient Hebrew lampstand

The menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum that is described in the Hebrew Bible and in later ancient sources as having been used in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candle</span> Wick embedded in solid flammable substance

A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. Candles have been used for over two millennia around the world, and were a significant form of lighting until the invention of other types of light sources. Although electric light has largely made candle use nonessential for illumination, candles are still commonly used for functional, symbolic and aesthetic purposes and in specific cultural and religious settings. Various devices can be used to hold candles, such as candlesticks, or candelabras, chandeliers, lanterns and sconces. A person who makes candles is traditionally known as a chandler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil lamp</span> Lamp used for lighting by burning oil

An oil lamp is a lamp used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and continues to this day, although their use is less common in modern times. They work in the same way as a candle but with fuel that is liquid at room temperature, so that a container for the oil is required. A textile wick drops down into the oil, and is lit at the end, burning the oil as it is drawn up the wick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanctuary lamp</span> Float lamps used in churches or temples

A sanctuary lamp, chancel lamp, altar lamp, everlasting light, or eternal flame is a light that shines before the altar of sanctuaries in many Jewish and Christian places of worship. Prescribed in Exodus 27:20-21 of the Torah, this icon has taken on different meanings in each of the religions that have adopted it. The passage, which refers to prescriptions for the tabernacle, states:

And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. In the tabernacle of the congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel. (KJV)

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandelier</span> Branched ornamental light fixture designed to be mounted on ceilings

A chandelier ( is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now incandescent light bulbs are commonly used, as well as fluorescent lamps and LEDs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candlestick</span> Device used to hold a candle in place

A candlestick is a device used to hold a candle in place. Candlesticks have a cup or a spike ("pricket") or both to keep the candle in place. Candlesticks are sometimes called "candleholders".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candlepower</span> Unit of measurement

Candlepower is a unit of measurement for luminous intensity. It expresses levels of light intensity relative to the light emitted by a candle of specific size and constituents. The historical candlepower is equal to 0.981 candelas. In modern usage, candlepower is sometimes used as a synonym for candela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dikirion and trikirion</span> Eastern Orthodox and Catholic liturgical candlesticks

Dikirion and trikirion are liturgical candlesticks, used by a bishop of the Eastern Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic Churches to bless the clergy and faithful. The words mean "dual candle" and "triple candle", respectively, and may collectively be called by the Greek plural form, "δικηροτρίκηρα", dikērotríkēra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanukkah menorah</span> Candelabrum lit during Hanukkah

A Hanukkah menorah, or hanukkiah, is a nine-branched candelabrum lit during the eight-day Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Eight of the nine branches hold lights that symbolize the eight nights of the holiday; on each night, one more light is lit than the previous night, until on the final night all eight branches are ignited. The ninth branch holds a candle, called the shamash, which is used to light the other eight.

A torchère, also known as a standard lamp, torch lamp or floor lamp, is a lamp with a tall stand of wood or metal. Originally, torchères were candelabra, usually with two or three lights. When it was first introduced in France towards the end of the 17th century the torchère mounted one candle only, and when the number was doubled or tripled the improvement was regarded almost as a revolution in the lighting of large rooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girandole</span>

A girandole is an ornamental branched candle holder consisting of several lights that may be on a stand or mounted on the wall, either by itself or attached to a mirror. Girandole has been used to refer to a number of different objects and designs; the early girandoles were candelabras decorated with crystals looking like a chandelier on a stand, and at one time it was also used to describe all candelabras and chandeliers, with or without crystals. Girandole first appeared in France in the mid-17th century as a luxurious appliance for lighting, and large wall-mounted girandoles that may incorporate a mirror became fashionable in England in the second half of the 18th century. A form of girandole backed with a round convex mirror was also popular in the United States in the early 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinara</span> Candleholder used in Kwanzaa celebrations

The kinara is a seven-branched candleholder used in Kwanzaa celebrations in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceremonial use of lights</span>

The ceremonial use of lights occurs in liturgies of various Christian Churches, as well as in Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Hindu rites and customs.

A lampadarius, plural Lampadarii, from the Latin lampada, from Ancient Greek "lampas" λαμπάς (candle), was a slave who carried torches before consuls, emperors and other officials of high dignity both during the later Roman Republic and under the Empire. Lampadarios in the post-Byzantine period designates the leader of the second (left) choir of singers in the Eastern Orthodox church practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Altar candle</span> Candles set on or near altars

Altar candles are candles set on or near altars for religious ceremonies. Various religions have regulations or traditions regarding the number and type of candles used, and when they are lit or extinguished, for example during the liturgies.

Candle holder or candleholder may refer to:

Menorah may refer to:

A chandlery was originally the office in a wealthy medieval household responsible for wax and candles, as well as the room in which the candles were kept. It could be headed by a chandler. The office was subordinated to the kitchen, and only existed as a separate office in larger households.

Triple candlestick may refer to:

References

  1. ↑ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN   978-0199206872.
  2. ↑ "candelabra". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Candelabrum - Define Candelabra at Dictionary.com". Dictionary.com. Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 Hollandbeck, Andy (17 November 2022). "In a Word: Shedding Some Light on Candle Holders". The Saturday Evening Post.
  5. 1 2 "Word of the Day: candelabra". Macmillan Dictionary. Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Candelabra". Merriam-Webster.
  7. ↑ "candelabrum". Merriam-Webster.
  8. ↑ "Candlestick". Cambridge Dictionary.
  9. ↑ "Candlestick". Merriam Webster.
  10. ↑ "Candelabra". Collins Dictionary.
  11. ↑ Ḥa̱chlili, Racḥel (2001). The Menorah, the Ancient Seven-armed Candelabrum: Origin, Form, and Significance. Brill. pp. 7–9.
  12. ↑ Baur 1996, p. 18.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Wikisource-logo.svg One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Candelabrum". Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 177.
  14. ↑ Haines, T. L.; Yaggy, L. W. (2023). The Life in Ancient Times: Discoveries of Pompeii, Ancient Greece, Babylon & Assyria. Good Press.
  15. 1 2 Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities (2022). A Guide to the Exhibition Illustrating Greek and Roman Life. British Museum. pp. 215–216.
  16. 1 2 A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities: Volume 1. Taylor and Walton. 1842. pp. 191–192.
  17. ↑ Lubke, Wilhelm (1873). Ecclesiastical Art in Germany. pp. 171, 174.
  18. ↑ Hapgood, Isabel (1975) [1922]. Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church (5th ed.). Englewood NJ: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. p. xxx. ISBN   978-148104918-4.
  19. ↑ Joanna Banham, ed. (1997). Encyclopedia of Interior Design. Taylor & Francis. pp. 225–226. ISBN   9781136787584.
  20. ↑ Havard, Henry (1888). Dictionnaire de l'ameublement et de la décoration (PDF). Vol. 1. Maison Quantin, compagnie générale d'impression et d'édition. pp. 550–554.
  21. ↑ Davison, Sandra; Newton, R.G. (2008). Conservation and Restoration of Glass. Taylor & Francis. p. 69. ISBN   9781136415517.
  22. ↑ Davison, Sandra; Newton, R.G. (2008). Conservation and Restoration of Glass. Taylor & Francis. p. 68. ISBN   9781136415517.
  23. 1 2 Carver Wees, Beth (1997). English, Irish, & Scottish Silver at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute. pp. 497–498. ISBN   9781555951177.
  24. ↑ Benson, K. Blair (1986). "8.1.6. Candelabras". Television engineering handbook. McGraw-Hill. p. 8.11. ISBN   0070047790.

Bibliography

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