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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: kidden6968 on August 26, 2012, 04:52:51 AM
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Here I am again LOL I also picked up a nice pair of brass candlesticks yesterday for $2
They are just over 10" tall, base is 3" by 3" and they weigh one pound each.
My question is that the base is stamped "Taiwan" - would the fact that it doesn't say "made in" make this more of a vintage piece rather than something made yesterday?
I have done some research and have read varying information on the "made in" requirement date in the US for imports.
As always - appreciate any information.
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At $2 you can,t go wrong..they look nice, and their scrap value is probably more than what you paid for them...
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Thanks bigwull - yes I know they are worth more for scrap LOL I am mostly curious about the dating - my understanding is that after a certain year imports were required to say "made in. . . " but I have been getting varying information from different sites. I am trying to figure out if they could have been made in 2011 or maybe 1950. ;D
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If you look at the underside of the base...what type of screw is holding the stick to the base..and the degree of pattination on the metal does,nt look to be 60 years old...but having said that...candlesticks especially brass ones were usually polished every other week..by their owners...so i think we can safely say it was made between 1950 and 2012....
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Good point bigwull - never thought about trying to unscrew - actually there is no screw. The base of the candlstick is actually threaded and the stick screws right down onto the base.
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Camera is charging at the moment but will gladly take pictures of the 2 pieces as soon as I can.
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...candlesticks especially brass ones were usually polished every other week..by their owners...
Took me until I got done with the giggles to realize you typed 'were' polished, not 'are'. Because in my case, those brass candlesticks are hidden away so I don't have to. ;)
Once a year, before Christmas. That's it, that's all..........back to the chest you go.
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the required "made in" was never strictly enforced ! i would guess these are 1960 or 70ish !
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Thanks Mart!! :)
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I wanted to take a picture of the base detached. Please keep in mind that I have not polished these. This candlestick in particular shows a circular mark which almost feels like the brass was scored there.
In any case - not the purpose of what I wanted to post LOL The base is threaded so that the stick screws directly down on the base with no screws. Seems sturdy and well made. Probably has nothing to do with age which is fine but I wanted to post in the event anyone had anything to add 8)
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I,m very surprised,that they have split here...If i had been a betting man,i,d have said that the split would have been at the base,...i,m now of the opinion that these,when first bought were,nt cheapies....ok,they are brass but i think they would have been at the upper end of the market,..this bottom part now makes me think it has been cast,..interesting!!
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Hmmm ok thanks bigwull - I learn every day here that's for sure. I will wait and see if anyone else has something to say ;D
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OOps ok another question then - cast as opposed to? can you explain to me why one has more value than the other - this is how I learn - ask ask ask LOL
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having looked more closely at these pics...i,m now of the opinion that these a low grade bronze..they are definately not yellow brass...too coppery...which make,s me think of bronze....they have that look,..as for the base...unless the bottom part of the stick has been braised on....if it has,nt then it could only have been cast in a mould,then turned....
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Hahaha ok now I have even more questions.
Bigwull thanks for all the help. I wanted to say that when I take pics I edit everyone of them as the lighting never looks right. So I try to enhance color, crop and resize everyone. I am not sure that has anything to do with how you might come to the conclusion that it might be bronze rather than brass but wanted to throw that out there. So here are my new questions:
Too coppery and maybe bronze? Is there a way for me to tell for sure? I know there is some green on the inside of the top of the candlestick as well as around the bottom of the stick where it screws onto the base.
The bottom base appears to be all one piece. How else were these made if not cast in a mold?
I ask because should I decide to sell, I want to be accurate in what I post and with items I don't know much about, I am always looking for help with descriptors which are so import.
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I,ve looked at the underside of the base again.and it has definitely been cast in a mould..then it has been turned on a lathe,then a screw thread had been cut,.this tells me that from the thread to the shoulder on the base..that this is solid,.the green on the inside of the candle holder is verdigris.......whi ch is copper sulphate,...here in the UK,we have two types of brass,one is yellow brass,and the other is bush brass......bush brass is a lot harder than yellow brass,..its basically bronze...see pic of ..bush brass bearing,
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I did some looking at bronze items and they look so much darker than these and I know that also depends on age.
And this method of casting, turning and the screw thread being cut is a more quality product than. . . ? Not sure what other methods are used LOL ???
And I want to be sure to list these accurately.
It is Monday morning and I am not quite awake yet but ultimate opinion then is that these are bronze?
Brass can turn green as well due to copper content can't it?
Please bear with me - sometimes as one question is answered my brain comes up with more :o
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These bearings are new..no patina...your sticks are bronze..i am in no doubt,..yellow brass is more malleable,the ultimate test,..if you are still not convinced..would be to file the underside of the base...and if the filings have an orange hue..then they are bronze...or bush brass...
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Not sure I want to go through that trouble ;) but just trying to learn.
They aren't worth that much but I just want to make sure I am not misrepresenting something and some of the bronze candlesticks I viewed are bringing in a similar price.
Thanks for all the help and with descriptors - and one last question ::)
The candlesticks that have a screw holding the base on are made by what method??? They aren't all cast in a mold?
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If your candlesticks had a base that was attached with a screw or a bolt...then only the base would have been cast...the stick would have been all in one piece and would have been turned on a lathe....your sticks are the first that i have seen whereby they screw onto the base in such a manner...
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Thanks again!!!! ;D