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| Brief description | Candelabra, Cyril Colnik, Milwaukee, 1910-1955. |
| Object name | Candelabra |
| Maker | Colnik, Cyril, 1871-1958 |
| Date | 1910-1955 |
| Dimensions | 5 1/4"H x 11 1/2"W x 3 1/4"D |
| Materials and techniques | Nickel |
| Original location | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin |
| Current location | Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin |
| Description | The sleek lines and shiny surface of this nickel candelabra reveal the influence of the Art Deco style. Two curved bands wrap around two short columns and are welded to the tall central column. |
| History | Trained in Vienna and Munich, master metalworker Cyril Colnik settled in Milwaukee in 1893, where he created decorative wrought iron work for dozens of homes and public buildings until his retirement in 1955. He also designed vases, candlesticks, door hardware, and other ornamental wares in a variety of styles. The Colnik Collection of the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum includes more than 200 examples of Colnik's work donated to the museum by his daughter Gretchen Colnik in 1991. The Villa Terrace is also home to the Colnik Archive, an extensive collection of original drawings, blueprints and photographs donated by the Kohler Foundation in 2002. |
| Sources | Bertha Kitchell Whyte, Craftsmen of Wisconsin (Racine, WI: Western Publishing Co., 1971); Virginia Jones Maher, "The Wrought Iron Artistry of Cyril Colnik" Wisconsin Academy Review 44, no. 3 (1998) (available online via the State of Wisconsin Collection): http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/wiacrev/index.html A brief biography of Colnik is available from the Wisconsin Historical Society's Dictionary of Wisconsin History: http://wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=14917 |
| Related objects | Another example of the Art Deco influence in Colnik's work is also part of the Villa Terrace collections (object # VT1992.68K): http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/u?/wda,1614 |
| Owner | Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum |
| Object # | VT1992.68D |
| Rights | (c) 2008 by Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum. Contact the owner for more information. http://www.cavtmuseums.org/ |
| Digital collection | Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database |
| Digital identifier | VT029 |
| Digital format | image/jpeg |
| Type | Physical object |
| Keywords | Metalwork; Candelabra (candleholder); Candleholder; Lighting device; Furnishings (artifacts); Furnishings and equipment |
