Wrought Iron Candelabra

Wrought iron candelabra are classic, traditional and unmistakably Gothic. Where would Dracula horror films be without them? The word 'candelabra' is actually the plural of 'candelabrum'. Wrought iron candelabra are available in different sizes so that they hold three, five, seven and even nine candles They were chiefly used for general lighting in a room and portable lighting as someone walked around the house.

Wrought Iron Candelabra

Candelabra is the term for a set of decorative, but useful candlesticks with more than one arm, each of which holds a light of some sort on each of its arms, which are connected to a column or pedestal. One candlestick in such a set is known as a candelabrum. Most candelabra have either three, five or seven arms.

There is a special candelabrum used in Jewish religious ceremonies with seven light-bearing arms, which is called a menorah. The original menorah, which God told Moses to make was of beaten gold and was kept t the Temple in Jerusalem

Originally, candelabra burned oil, often olive oil, to give light. Oil was replaced with candles when they became more readily available. Nowadays, modern candelabra can bough that are electrically powered. The light bulbs in these candelabra often flicker like candles.

One of the most versatile styles of candelabra is wrought iron candelabra. Most people will recognize wrought iron candelabra from the old Gothic style horror films, especially the old Dracula movies. The heroine was always seen walking around a gloomy castle with a guttering wrought iron candelabrum.

Wrought iron candelabra are very old fashioned but they are definitely making a come-back with modern interior designers. The trend is towards wrought iron candelabra painted in garish primary colours. You can spot them in photos of many celebrities' houses.

Wrought iron candelabra make a great talking point on any sideboard or table. You can change the colour scheme subtly by changing the colour of the candles. Traditional white is always good, but red or mauve looks great too. Aromatic candles are also a fantastic idea, five or seven burning aromatic candles can give off quite a powerful aroma. You could even mix the candles to produce your own delicate perfume.

Another use that some people have for wrought iron candelabra is to put them before open, unlit fireplaces. In the summer a fireplace looks rather sad and cold, but you can change all that with beautiful wrought iron candelabra. Lit in the evening, they provide a good substitute for an open fire.

You can catch the sparkle of flickering candle flames from wrought iron candelabra in quite a spectacular way by standing the candelabrum on a plate and filling the plate with glass beads or different colours. White gravel works well too.

by Owen Jones