Candle holder "Rat de Cave" large

The "cellar rat" is a handcrafted candle holder that is both functional and highly decorative.

Supplied with its candle. It was a working tool used in all Burgundy wine cellars.

Handcrafted candle holer, large model, height 21 cm (without candle), diameter 11.5 cm.

Origin and Function :

Its origins date back to around the year 1000. The monks of the renowned "Cluny Abbey" used it. An authentic example can be seen at the Ochier Museum in Cluny. The cellar lantern served a dual purpose, first to illumiate the cellar and second, the coulour of the flame indicated the presence of gases, signifying that the wine was undergoing a chemical transformation.

This object had a carefully designed and practical shape. Its flat base allows for immediate and stable placement.

Its handle (the rat's tail) provides an easy and secure grip. Its shape allows it to be hung on a nail and, more commonly, on the rim of an oak barrel. The spiral allows for storage of candle remnants, the small pusher, rotating within this spiral, raises the candle ends as they burn down.

Perhaps this is what was once called "saving a few pennies !".