A rare bronze candlestick, Eastern Turkey, 14th Century

made up of three sections joined by reverse screw, the lower section comprising a waisted base with stepped down foot, shallow drip-pan, narrow cylindrical neck and waisted socket to which is attached the middle section composed of faceted tapering shaft between ribbed collars, the third and upper section composed of a globular cup-shaped candle socket with small loops on the underside

Published in 1400 Years of Islamic Art, London 1981, no. 51

The unusual shape of this candlestick with its tall tapering shaft and cup-shaped socket relates to the larger and later oil lamp commissioned by Uzan Hasan, the leader of the Turkmen Aqqoyunlu confederation for the mausoleum of the Sufi Sheikh Haci Bayram Veli at Ankara, illustrated in the Survey (Pope and Ackerman 1938-9, pl.1374, ex-Parish-Watson Collection) and now in the David Collection in Copenhagen (von Folsach 2001, pp. 290 and 327, fig.524). A related candle socket is in the Keir Collection (Fehérvári 1976, no.139).

The present example eschews ostentatious surface embellishment and relies instead on harmonious proportions and an elegant profile. The distinctive waisted form of the base section relates to the group of 13th-century candlesticks identified as from either Siirt or Konya (Melikian Chirvani 1982, pp.357-68) suggesting possibly an Anatolian provenance.