Mirror Candle Wall Sconce - II

Before electricity, a room was only ever as bright as its candles, and people found ways to make a little flame go further. Found in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, this 19th-century sconce sets a scrolled iron candle arm against a shield of old foxed mirror. Back when candles did all the work, the mirror was the clever part, set behind the flame to throw the light back into the room and double what one candle could give. Sconces like this were almost always made in pairs, and two have come through here, each sold on its own. Sylvie hangs it by a doorway and lets it flicker against the glass on a long evening.