George III silver chamber candlestick

Classic Georgian III silver chamberstick with detachable cone-shaped snuffer and nozzle. The thumbpiece on the handle is engraved with a coronet and family crest. The nozzle, snuffer and base are decorated with reeded mounts.

As the name suggests, a silver chamberstick was designed to be carried and was used for to light the way when moving around chambers or rooms at night. Chambersticks were typically kept near the entrance so they could be used by family or guests looking to retire for the night. In the morning, chambermaids collected the chambersticks, cleaned them, and returned them for use again.

Specific features of a silver chamberstick include a central candle socket that was shorter than a regular candlestick, fitted to a flat, circular base to collect any dripping wax, plus a side handle with thumbpiece. Many, like this example had a removable sconce - also for collecting wax - and a cone-shaped snuffer or extinguisher.