Candelabra

A notable example is the seven-armed candelabrum or menorah, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible with instruction on its creation to Moses.

[13] While "candelabrum" is now often used to mean a branched candle holder, the term has been used to describe a variety of lighting objects.

[14][15] The Roman candelabra may consist of a stalk or reed, the upper part moulded with projecting feature to carry lights at the top, and a base resting on three lions' or griffins' feet.

The origin of the term, which means a candlestick, suggests that Roman candelabra may have a disk with a spike on top to carry a wax or tallow candle (candela or funalia).

[13] The Roman candelabra used in public building can be of significant size, and they may have bulky supports in stone or marble, of which many examples were found in the thermae.

These consists of a base, often triangular, a shaft either richly moulded or carved with the acanthus plant and crowned with a large cup or basin with similar design to the small sacrificial altars.

Candelabra in the form of branched candle holders were commonly found in religious buildings, but they were also used in the homes of the wealthy.

In England in the early 18th century, candelabra may be used interchangeably with a number of terms, such as branches, chandeliers, lustres, girandoles, and wall-lights.

[23] Two-branched candelabra were then the most common, and some designs allowed the branches to be detached leaving a single-armed candlestick.

[23] In the United States and Canada,[citation needed] the word candelabra is used to refer to radio masts and towers with multiple transmission antennas.

[24] Baltimore's TV stations, WMAR-TV, WBAL-TV, and WJZ-TV in 1959 built the world’s first three-antenna candelabra tower, 730 feet tall.