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Rat de Cave

The

Rat de Cave

is a candle used to illuminate the stairs to the cellar as well as for

lighting in the cellar itself. They can be traced back to the year 1000 when used by the

monks of the Abbey of Cluny. In the above example, a corkscrew like spiral holds the

candle, the base catches the melting wax, and the rat tail is used to grip the holder.

In Rowland Strong's

Sensations of Paris

published by McBride, Nast & Company, New

York, in 1912, we find,

―

As he bottles at least three hogsheads a day, most of his waking

life is spent in dark cellars lit only by a twisted taper, a

rat de cave

, or cellar-rat, as it is

called.

‖