19th-Century French Brass Church Altar Candlestick

24" tall base excluding candle spike x 7" triangular base

This solid brass candlestick was made for use on a church altar or side chapel, where tall beeswax tapers were burned during services, prayer, and religious ceremonies.

The tall, weighted form allowed it to remain stable while holding long, slow-burning candles, which were essential in churches before electric lighting.

Its classical column structure and engraved detailing are typical of French ecclesiastical metalwork from the mid-to-late 1800s, when church furnishings were produced using heavy cast brass and hand-finished to withstand constant heat, wax, and handling. Pieces like this would have been part of a matched pair or set, placed on altars, near the tabernacle, or beside devotional statues.

Today it works equally well as a sculptural statement candlestick, holding standard or oversized tapers on a dining table, console, or mantel.