BMF Candle Holders, Set of 7, Ceasar Stoffi & Fritz Nagel, chrome-plated, 1970s

Seven original modular candle holders by Ceasar Stoffi and Fritz Nagel for Bayerische Metallwaren Fabrik (BMF), Germany, 1970s. This system is one of the most significant German contributions to Space Age design and functions like a sculptural building block principle: each element is a three-armed holder made of chrome-plated die-cast zinc, whose pins can be inserted into the receptacles of the element below it – creating towers, pyramids, nested compositions, or loosely grouped landscapes on the dining table. The chrome-plated surface catches every candlelight and reflects it back as warm reflections, making the holder a sculpture with its own luminous character, especially at dusk.

Each individual element measures approximately 6.5 cm in height and has a triangular base with an edge length of about 11.5 cm; the three candle receptacles have the standard diameter of 2.2 cm and fit all commercially available taper candles. The set of seven elements offers 21 candle receptacles and is thus suitable for an intimate dinner with two to three modules, as well as for a dramatic full composition for a large table or as a solitary sculpture on a console. Chroming in very good vintage condition, minor signs of use commensurate with age.