A pair of mid-century mercury glass candlesticks whose silvering has aged to a warm champagne gold — the kind of tarnish that would be impossible to fake and heartbreaking to polish away.
These appeared on the Sunday brocante here in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, on a dealer’s table wedged between a box of old postcards from Marseille and a broken ormolu mantel clock. The dealer — a retired schoolteacher who sells on Sundays for the pleasure of the conversation — said they came from a hotel particulier in Avignon that had been divided into apartments in the 1980s. Whether that’s precisely true is anyone’s guess, but the quality of the glass supports the story.
About mercury glass
Mercury glass — or silvered glass — is double-walled blown glass with a silver nitrate solution sealed between the layers. It was never actually mercury, despite the name. Over time, the silvering oxidises and develops patches of warm amber, pale gold, and soft bronze that shift depending on the light. These two have tarnished at slightly different rates, which makes them feel like siblings rather than twins.
One candlestick has minor silvering loss at the base — a small area where the interior coating has flaked, creating a clear window through to the outer glass. It’s visible only from below and adds to the character rather than diminishing it. Both hold standard taper candles securely. They look extraordinary lit — the flame multiplies in the silvered interior and throws a soft, diffuse glow that no solid candlestick can replicate.
Set them on a dinner table, a mantelpiece, or a bathroom shelf where the candlelight will play off tile and mirror. They want a pair of good beeswax tapers and a long evening.
