Copper Swirled Candlestick

A round copper candlestick crowned with swirled diagonal wires shows Spratling working outside silver entirely, in the warm-toned base metals that were part of his Taxco workshop's range. The swirling wires above the body do the design's work, turning a simple holder into a piece with movement.

Working copper and other metals alongside silver was characteristic of the Taxco talleres, and the same design was also produced in tin, evidence of a model Spratling considered worth realizing in more than one material. The geometric, abstracted handling of the wirework is consistent with his broader design language.

Copper objects from the workshop survive in smaller numbers than the silver, having been treated as utilitarian rather than precious, which makes an intact candlestick of this design uncommon.