Courting Candle
Oil on gessoed wood
In the 1600's thru to the 1800's fathers of a marriageable young lady would allow suitors to visit in her home.The father would prepare a candle holder and set it up in an area where the couple sat. The candle's height would be adjusted to measure out the time. The candle, which was dominant home lighting during this period, would be the timer that provided a quiet reminder that the "date" was to conclude when the height set by the father had been burned away.
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