18 BULLETIN 141^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



and put away to season. (Cat. No. 150410, Surrey, England; Edward 

 Lovett; 14 inches (35.5 cm.) long.) They were later "dipped" by 

 the usual domestic process for tallow candles. Rush wicks, even 

 with part of the cortex left on, were not strong enough to pull in 

 molds, hence such candles were dipped, a method preceding the use 

 of molds. 



Tinned iron candle molds are comparatively common, and many 

 are seen in collections where they point out that formerly candle 

 making was an important domestic industry. In reality the molds 

 represent a method of economy among our ancestors in that small 

 amounts of fat could be worked up into candles with the molds when 

 required. Generally on the plantations, where a great many candles 

 were necessary, sufficient were made for the whole year by dipping, 

 which was far more expeditious than by molds. Candle dipping was 

 usually coincident with the butchering of the winter stores of meat, 

 at which time much fat was accumulated. 



The molds shown range from 3 tubes to 24 tubes. The 3-tube 

 specimen has lost the stand. (PI. 10, fig. 1, Cat. No. 127281, Lynch- 

 burg, Va.; Mrs. Ed. Hunter; 9.7 inches (24.5 cm.) high. Fig. 2 has 

 6 tubes. Cat. No. 298359, Virginia, Dr. P. B. Johnson; 10.8 inches 

 (27.5 cm.) high.) The 8-tube specimen retains the stand. The tubes 

 are less tapered than in the examples described. (Fig. 3, Cat. No. 

 126825, Virginia; Mrs. G. Brown Goode; 11 inches (28 cm.) high.) 

 The 24-tube mold has handles on two sides and the tubes are only 

 slightly tapered. (Fig. 4, Cat. No. 175464; Morgantown, W. Va.; 

 Walter Hough; 11 inches (28 cm.) high.) 



Slender candles called tapers have still a general currency for 

 religious use. As suggested, these are survivals of the flambeaux 

 tapers cut into lengths for a definite use. They are intended to be 

 carried in the hand and rarely or never are sticks designed for 

 them. Plate 9& figures a number of these tapers. Figure 1 is a 

 bundle of mocoluteori used in the Roman carnival. They are very 

 slender and of white wax. (Cat. No. 154308, Italy; G. Brown Goode; 

 9 inches (23 cm.) long.) Figures 2, 3, and 4 are bundles of tapers 

 sold in the churches and used by the devout in processions and other 

 ceremonials. The tapers in Figure 2 are rather large and of natural 

 yellow wax. Those of Figure 3 are long and slender natural wax. 

 Figure 4 are red tapers. (Cat. No. 238067, 238070, 238068, Manila, 

 P. I.; Philippine Commission; 12.6 inches (32 cm.) long, 13.4 inches 

 (34 cm.) long, 10.2 inches (26 cm.) long.) Figure 5 is of a bundle of 

 white, red, orange, yellow, pink, and green tapers bought at Madrid, 

 Spain, and used in Christmas festivities in 1892. (Cat. No. 166996; 

 Walter Hough; 7.5 inches (19 cm.) long.) Figure 6 are small candles 

 of red, white, and green wax and called tapers. They were " bought 



