Pewter Twin Candle Holder

Vintage twin candle holder in cast pewter. Stamped Svensk Tenn (Swedish Pewter) H8, which translates to 1934. Signs of wear with some marks and smaller dents around base. Fits a thinner taper candle. 

Pewter is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin, antimony, copper, bismuth, and sometimes silver. The earliest known piece of pewter was found in an Egyptian tomb, c. 1450 BC. It was used for decorative items and tableware by the Egyptians and later the Romans, and came into extensive use in Europe from the Middle Ages until the various developments in pottery and glass-making. In the late 1800's, pewter came back into fashion with the revival of medieval objects for decoration. It became an affordable yet beautiful alternative to silver.

Swedish art teacher and pewter artist Estrid Ericson had a vision to offer the public contemporary pewter art at reasonable prices. In 1924 she opened the today iconic interior design store Svenskt Tenn in Stockholm. Together with Austrian born architect and design partner Josef Frank, Ericson received a great deal of attention and were quickly associated with the expression Swedish Modern. Recognition in the US began with an exhibition of Swedish design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1927, and later with the world exhibition in New York in 1939. Svenskt Tenn's collection was completely contrary to the ideal of the time with its bold contrasts in materials, colors and prints.