CANDELA'DRA, were objects of great importance in ancient Art; they were originally used as candlesticks, but after oil was introduced, they were used to hull lamps, and stood on the ground, be ing very tall, from four to seven or ten feet in height. The simplest candelabra were of wood, others were very splendid both in material and in their ornaments. The largest candelabra, placed in tem ples and palaces, were of marble with or naments in relief and fastened to the ground; there are several specimens in the Museum Clementinum at Rome. These large candelabra were also altars of incense, the carving showing to what god they were dedicated: they were also given as offerings, and were then made of finer metals, and even of precious stones. Candelabra were also made of baked earth, but they were mostly of ele gantly wrought bronze. They consisted of three parts :-1. the feet ; 2. the shaft ; 3. the plinth with the tray, upon which the lamp was placed. The base generally consisted of three animals' feet, orna mented with leaves. The shaft was flut ed ; and on the plinth often stands a fig ure holding the top, generally in the shape of a vase, on which rests the tray. The branching candelabra are valuable as works of Art, and also those where the is firmed by a statue, bearing a torchlike lamp, and each arm holding a plate for a lamp. Another kind of can delabrum was call- ed Lampadarii these were in the form of pillars, with arms or branches from which the lamps hung by chains. In
the Musea Etta's co Gregorian° at Rome, are forty three candelabra of various forms, which were exca vated at Cervetri.
Some have smooth, and some have flut ed, shafts, on which is represented a climbing a serpent, lizard, weasel, or a eat following it cock.
Sometimes these shafts bear a cap, e or branch into litany arms, be tween which stand beautiful little fig ures, or they have plates rising perpen dicularly above one another. They gen erally rest, on feet of lions, men, or stags, or they are supported by figures of sa tyrs, fic. Some candelabra are in the form of a human figure, bearing the plate in the outstretched hand, and some times the pillar is supported by carya tides. The most curious specimens of candelabra, as respects form, use, and workmanship, are those excavated at Herculaneum and Pompeji. These are all of bronze ; and that they were em ployed for domestic purposes is proved from the representation, on an Etrus ean vase, of CDC which serves to give light to the guests assembled round a banquet table. They are slender in their proportions, and perfectly portable, rare ly exceeding five feet in height. It is to be observed, that none of the candelabra hitherto found exhibit any appearance of a. socket or of a spike at, top, from which an inference of the use of candles could DC drawn.