The Russian Empire had a number of candlestick manufacturers, one of which was the Joseph Fraget factory. The company was founded by French immigrants, brothers Joseph and Alphonse Fraget, in Warsaw in 1824 (Polish lands were part of Russia from the second half of the 18th century to 1918). Apart from candlesticks, the factory also manufactured other metal products, including cutlery, tableware, jewelry boxes, samovars, and churchware. The company was given the name of Joseph Fraget in the early 1840s, as only the younger brother, Joseph, stayed to manage it, while the other returned to France.

In terms of their appearance, Fraget products were indistinguishable from items that were completely made of silver. At the same time, they cost only a fraction in comparison, as they were cast from inexpensive materials and plated with a thin layer of the precious metal. Initially, the brothers silvered their products using the thermomechanical method, which means that they heated the surface before applying thin sheets of foil to it. In the second half of the 19th century, Joseph Fraget switched to a new electrochemical plating method, galvanization. This made the production cheaper, as it required less silver to coat an item.

Thanks to being not as valuable and expensive, the factory’s products were more affordable to the population than those manufactured by other companies. Items produced by the Joseph Fraget company quickly gained popularity not only in Polish lands, but also in the entire European part of Russia.

Fraget’s factory won numerous awards, eventually receiving a gold medal and the supreme title of ‘Purveyor to His Imperial Majesty’s Court’ at the 1896 All-Russian Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, thus earning the right to feature the coat of arms of Russia – the double-headed eagle – on its products.

The Warsaw-based enterprise successfully grew and developed up until the beginning of World War II. During that time, the company was headed by Joseph Fraget’s great-grandson. After the war, the factory was nationalized and merged with another company. However, it still continued to operate.

The candlestick on display is made of nickel silver, a copper alloy with nickel and zinc. It also has a layer of silver plating that was applied through galvanization. This is evidenced by marks inscribed on the bottom: ‘N, ’ standing for ‘nickel silver, ’ and ‘GALW’ for ‘galvanized.’ Also found close by are the company’s prints: an oval with the inscription “FRAGET W WARSZAWIE, ” which translates to “Fraget in Warsaw, ” as well as another oval featuring a divider and two crossed hammers behind it. There are also the digits “3374,” which indicate the product’s serial number. The candlestick was produced some time between 1860 and 1896, as all of these markings were only applied together during this period. At the same time, the item is missing the print with the double-headed eagle, which the company was only permitted to feature on its products after 1896.