405 Study Task 04 - Object Lessons research

I have decided to choose a candle as my object, 'an ignitable wick embedded in wax or another flammable solid substance such as a tallow that provides light - some cases a fragance. There are many different uses for a candle:

• to provide heat
• to provide light
• to fragance a room
• to keep time
• to fix the end of a frayed shoe lace - use the melted wax
• writing a secret message on paper
• rubbing on door hinges to fix squeakiness
• to prevent eyes streaming while cutting onions
• use as a pin holder
• citronella candles are bug repellents
• to celebrate a birthday - blow them out
• a house warming gift

The original 'Standard candle' was made using whale fat and first appeared over 2,200 years ago as means of illumiation. From the 1st up to 19th Century they were made usually with beewax or tallow. Today they are made of paraffin wax and are used much more decoratively. 

Someone who manufacturers a candle is known as a 'chandler'. A 'chandlery' was an office in medieival households responsible for wax and candles, it was also where the candles were kept. In these times before electric light was availible it was an essential thing to have and was important to the running of a home - the production of candles was often done privately.

There are a lot of Chandler companies around at the moment and most of them are luxury items, some known are:

• Yankee Candle
• Village Candle
• Parks
• Culti
• Stone Glow
• Heyland Whittle
• Jo Malone

Soap was a natural byproduct of candlemaking and therefore a lot of commerical chandlers by the 18th century dealt in candles and soap. The term chandelier comes from a ceiling fitting that held several candles together, they still exist however nowadays they are ornamental electrical lighting fixtures.

Guinness World Records:

• The most lit candles on a cake is 72,585 and was achieved by Ashrita Furman and the Sri Chinmoy Centre (Both USA) at the Sri Chinmoy Centre in New York on the 27th August 2016 - the cake was created to celebrate what would have been Sri Chinmoy's 85th Birthday. 
• The largest collection of candles belongs to Lam Chung Foon (Hong Kong) and consits of 6,360 different candles as of the 23rd December 2011. He started his collection in 1980 and his family have ran a large candle manufacturing business since 1968.
• The most candles lit simultaneously at a single venue is 12,135 and was achieved by Art of Living Foundation in India on the 13th November 2012.
• The most people blowing out candles simultaneously is 1,717 and was achieved by The Fellowship Fund for Employees of the Ministry of Health Muscat in Oman on the 21st November 2016.
• The longest line of candles lit in relay is 338 and was achieved by the Scout Association of Hong Kong on 31st December 2013.