Candlestick

Tin casters were craftsmen who made vessels and other utility objects of tin. Due to the durability of the material and the aesthetics of the products, tin products were used as furnishings in churches, castles and the houses of the wealthy burghers. Over time, many unusual tin products came to be, such as jugs for storing water or milk, as well as bed warmers. The basic technique used by them was casting in moulds. The method of marking tin products was regulated since the Middle Ages by guild regulations, and the marks, also known as punches, contained information about the maker, place of manufacture, as well as the quality of the alloy. In Pomerania, one of the most active guilds of tin makers operated in Szczecin, with more than a hundred craftsmen making tin products between the 15th and the mid-19th century. One of them was Gottlieb Gottschalk, officially entered in the town register in 1723, who created a tin altar candlestick, among many other objects. Over time, the popularity of tin wares has declined, and in the 20th century they became collectibles and hardly more.

Anna Lew-Machniak