Seven Arm Tin Candelabra

Worked in tin rather than silver, this seven-arm candelabra shows how far the studio's design sense reached beyond precious metal. The octagonal base anchors a symmetrical sweep of seven arms, the whole built for candlelight rather than display of precious material.

That the identical design was also produced in copper underscores how Spratling treated form as primary and material as variable, a single resolved design realized in whichever metal suited. The octagonal base ties the piece to the geometric vocabulary that runs through his holloware.

Working in tin and copper placed objects like this within reach of a broader market than his silver, while keeping the same design discipline. As a first-period candelabra it belongs to the studio's wider metalwork, and such non-silver pieces are seen only occasionally.