Candelabrum

A graduate of the School of the Art Institute, Jessie M. Preston was a notable Chicago Arts and Crafts metalsmith. This candelabra is an example of one of her most successful and graceful Art Nouveau–influenced designs. The center candle stem rests on a base adorned with flowing and swirling grasses, and it sprouts into four asymmetrical and curving branches that end in flowering morning glories. As she did with so much of her metalwork, Preston transformed this candelabra into a dynamic, organic form with a life and movement of its own.