Candlestick, one of a pair

Manufacturers introduced a number of cost-saving methods to make silver more affordable for middle class consumers in the 18th and 19th centuries. One such technique was the use of die-stamped patterns. The technique worked particularly well with candlesticks such as these. Dies imprinted fluting, swags, and other decorative elements onto thin sheets of silver. The sheets were shaped into hollow columns, and then filled with pitch or other material to add the strength and balance associated with solid sterling silver.