Candlestick (9) - Brass - Candle extinguishers / snuffers

Beautiful collection of antique copper and brass candle snuffers, candle snuffing scissors (historically often referred to as candle snuffers or snuffer scissors), including a couple of specialized candle or wick tongs.

These objects date mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries and were used when homes were still lit with candles made from animal fat (tallow) or beeswax. Most of the objects shown (such as in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth and tenth photos) are candle snuffing scissors.

They look like scissors, but serve a very different purpose. What were they used for?
1. Trimming the wick (the “snuffer”): Early candle wicks did not burn away completely like they do today. As the candle burned, the wick grew long, smoked and produced soot, causing the candle to drip. The scissors were used to snip off the glowing, charred end of the wick.
2. Catching the ash: One blade of the scissors has a raised cup or crescent-shaped tray (a “boat”). When the wick was snipped, the glowing piece fell straight into the tray and was covered by the other flat blade. This prevented sparks or liquid wax from falling onto the table or carpet, and immediately extinguished the wick without producing smoke.

Special variants in this collection:
• Scissors with little feet (including photos 4 and 10): Some scissors have small pins or feet on the underside. These allowed the scissors to rest horizontally on a table without their soot-covered undersides dirtying the table or tablecloth.

• Tongs with square jaws (photos 7 and 8): These are not scissors for cutting, but candle tongs or wick tongs. They could be used to grip and move the burning wick, or to squeeze fat from the edge of the candle. The tongs in photo 7 also have a specially shaped insert (often made of iron or stone) for gripping the wick very precisely and scraping off the debris. These copper and brass snuffers were both practical objects and status symbols at the time; the more ornate the casting on the handles (such as the beautiful scrollwork in photos 4 and 9), the wealthier the household. Are you curious whether they bear any maker’s marks, or would you like to know whether one of these pieces belongs with a specific antique candlestick or chamberstick?

Dimensions vary.