Stock No. 2484	Old Sheffield Plate George III candle shade in original case
	Rare Old Sheffield Plate George III candle shade in its original, fitted, case. Circa 1790. The shade consists of two parts. One is a grip made of Old Sheffield Plate on a steel spring with two handles. Each handle has a lug near the end into which the shade is fixed. One of the handles has a clip at the end which fits over the other handle to keep the whole closed when not in use and when in its case. The other part consists of two Old Sheffield Plate arms with pronged feet which are attached to a central, circular, pivot. This constitutes the frame for some stiffened, green, pleated material (possibly silk) which opens up into a fan-like, circular, shade. When in use, the grip is fixed to the candle, above the candle-stick. The shade is opened to a full circle and the prongs at the end of the arms are secured in the lugs of the grip's handles.

Condition :-Good, considering its age and the fragility of the material. The material has come away a little from the Old Sheffield Plate frame, particularly on one side. There are also two or three small splits in the material on the edges in the folds
Circa :- 1790
Size :- 7.9 inches (20 cm) high x 7.3 inches (18.5 cm) diameter
This is a remarkable piece of engineering, particularly as the shade folds down so that the two parts can fit into a case which is only 5.1 inches (12.95 cm) long and is therefore very portable. These shades were used to prevent draughts from blowing out the candle but they were also used to prevent the heat from the candle from melting the wax-based make-up which was worn by both men and women in that era. The tears in the material could easily be restored in expert hands.

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