A Swedish Gustavian candelabrum made ca 1790.

A Swedish Gustavian candelabrum. It is designed with a cobalt blue blown glass. This type of glass was the most expensive in the 18th c and these type of objects were really expensive. The candelabrum has a base of marble on which a crystal obelisk stands. The arms and the candleholders etc are made of brass that is burnt gilded. This was a method where they used mercury mixed with gold to fixate the gold on the brass. The method was very dangerous and the craftsmen that were doing it usually died at a young age. Very often this type of candelabra are called Russian internationally because of the blue glass. However they are typical Swedish.