Once...about 15 years ago, I traveled to Italy on a tight budget. I wandered into a medieval town with many towers, which hovered 1000 feet above sea level, just South of Florence, and North/West of Sienna. Above the rolling hills of Tuscany, San Gimignano was a thriving Etruscan center in 200-300BC. It began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. I climbed to the top of the cobble-stoned village, and discovered a little antique shop with a sweet little old man. I had never been so enchanted! I left with one of the greatest treasures of my life. It was a wall mounted Ship's Candlestick that pivots with the movement of an ancient sailing vessel, in order to remain level. As a result of this particular feature, it doubles as a table-top candlestick.
Not long after I left, I began regretting not buying the sister piece; though I'd already spent two days of my food budget on the first one. For eight years, I regretted not buying that matching piece, until finally, I opened my shop, Studio Nouveau. On my first buying trip, I raced with great anticipation, back to the little old man in San Gimignano to see if, just maybe, the sister candlestick was waiting for me.
Much to my surprise, it was!!! The little old man told me that this was a reproduction of an Etruscan candlestick...now being reproduced in Florence. It remains a personal favorite of all my hunts for "Objects of Beauty".
I use six of them at home...one on each side of my arched window, two on the tables at my bedside, one in the kitchen, and one in the living room, which I carry when the power goes out, or during my candlelit dinner parties.
These are my favorite gift to give couples...because they appear to be loved, universally, by men and women. They also come in antique brass. (Find them listed separately.)
Our Del Mar, solid and richly colored beeswax candles are beautiful in these candlesticks.
The bad news is that this company has gone out of business and we now have very limited stock of these. BOOOO! Measures 10" tall.
4-3/4" Wide at base.
Molded hook on base adds 1/2".
Wall Mount or Table Top
