Candle mould

A candle mould shapes a candle around its wick. Older metal moulds may consist of several narrow hollow tubes joined in a frame or shared top. This is manufacturing equipment, not a candlestick that supports a finished burning candle.

Tubes and wick holes

The Smithsonian documents a nineteenth-century example with four tubes tapering towards the bottom, each with a hole for the wick. The Metropolitan Museum also holds a mould with space for thirty-six candles. These examples show varying capacities; they do not provide a standard date or Norwegian origin for an unidentified mould.

What to inspect

Photograph the top, tube ends, handle and joints. Record tube count, dimensions, bends, corrosion, old soldering and missing parts. Do not interpret damage or a blocked opening as an original construction detail without comparison.

Separate known ownership history from assumed age. A mould may be comparatively recent even if handmade and simple in appearance. Do not test an antique example with hot candle material, which could damage its surface or stress weak joints.

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Sources

Smithsonian: Candle mold, 2017.108.25.13; The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Candle Mold, 10.125.598o.