The copper candleholder Gift of Light is designed as a holiday card that fits into a standard-size mailing envelope accompanied with assembly instructions. The card’s message is one of the power of light over darkness. It is inscribed with a quote by the 16th century humanist philosopher Desiderius Erasmus etched on its underside:

Give light, and the darkness
will disappear of itself.

The candleholder arrives in 2 flat pieces of thin laser cut and etched copper nested together. The recipient folds the pieces along the etched lines at 90-degree angles. The 2 pieces nest together to create a surprisingly complex and ingenious form. Through the act of assembly, the recipient becomes an active participant in the candleholder’s making and is given an intimate understanding of its nature. The volume created by the nested forms is designed to hold a votive candle. The light is both indirect, reflecting off the interior copper surfaces, and direct, escaping through slots and openings on all 4 sides of the candleholder.

We selected copper as one of the earliest metals utilized by humans over 10,000 years ago. Copper is one of the few metallic elements to have a natural color other than grey or silver. The raw finish will oxidize over time, slowly recording the process of the candleholder’s assembly and use.

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