The object shown in the image is a bronze or brass socket candlestick, the style and construction of which are characteristic of European candlesticks from the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance (approximately the 14th to 16th centuries). In the early Middle Ages, most European candlesticks were of the "pricket" type, in which a wax candle was impaled upon a central metal spike. From the 14th century onward, with the advancement of metal-casting techniques—particularly involving bronze and brass—there was a gradual transition toward socket candlesticks, such as the item pictured here; these feature a hollow upper cup into which the candle can be inserted more securely and stably.