Royal Doulton Lambeth Art Nouveau Candlestick

Royal Doulton Lambeth Art Nouveau Candlestick, standing 6.5 inches (16.5cm) tall, circa 1895-1910. This elegant candlestick showcases the refined Art Nouveau aesthetic that flourished at the Lambeth studio during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods. Decorated with tube-lined foliate designs in a mottled palette of cream, brown, green, and blue glazes, the piece features the organic, flowing forms that defined the Art Nouveau movement. The slender stem rises from a rounded foot, narrowing gracefully before broadening to the candle cup.

This candlestick was produced at the original Doulton pottery established in Lambeth, South London in 1815. The Lambeth art studio opened in 1871 when Sir Henry Doulton partnered with the Lambeth School of Art to create England's first noteworthy example of artist-pottery—a revolutionary collaboration employing talented young artists who decorated individual pieces with complete creative freedom.

The Art Nouveau period at Lambeth (roughly 1895-1910) marked a significant shift from heavily ornamented High Victorian designs toward simpler, more elegant tube-lined decorations featuring organic forms inspired by nature. Tube-lining involved applying liquid clay in raised lines to create decorative patterns, enhanced with colored glazes. Several distinguished female artists specialized in decorating candlesticks during this period, including Linnie Watt (1875-1908), Isabel Rogers, and Louisa Wakely.

Candlesticks from this period are considerably rarer than vases and jugs. The narrow stems and elevated candle cups made them prone to warping during firing and vulnerable to breakage in use. Each candlestick bears impressed factory marks and artist monograms, making pieces attributable to the pioneering women who broke into the male-dominated ceramics industry.