ENGLISH, MANNER OF SIR NINIAN COMPER RARE SET OF FOUR ARTS & CRAFTS ‘FEATHERED ANGEL’ CANDLE carved and painted oak, brass, with gilt embellishments

(Each 43cm high)

Note: These candle holders depict feathered angels holding aloft candle holders. The iconography is thought to derive from medieval mystery plays. These vernacular dramas, which enacted biblical tales such as the Creation and the story of Adam and Eve, were performed all over Europe in the Middle Ages. In England, guilds of performers toured the countryside with their pageant wagons and the actors playing angels would wear – in addition to wings – feathers that covered the body, ending neatly at neck and ankle. These costumes are variously described as ‘feather tights’ or feather-covered ‘pyjama suits’. This representation of angels is particularly associated with medieval carved roof angels, still found in many Norfolk churches.