Pair of Alphonse LaPaglia Sterling Silver Candelabra

height 7 7/8 inches, length 10 inches across the bobeches, diameter of base 4 inches, weight approximately 38.5 Troy ounces, no monogram, excellent condition.

Little is known about La Paglia himself, though Dorothy Rainwater relates (see Silver Magazine, May/June 1995, item pictured in article) that he worked as a spy during WWII, and was smuggled into and out of Italy on board a submarine. He perished tragically at the age of 46, after a fall from the roof while cleaning his gutters caused a thrombosis and subsequent heart attack.

His output through International Silver was largely produced in a workshop attached to the back of his home in Meriden, CT, where six craftsmen made and assembled items largely by hand. As is often the case with handcrafted items which contain many parts and involve lots of soldering, there's a slightly sloppy seam in the base of one candelabra visible from underneath only, (see fifth photo) which does not detract from appearance or function but does bear mention.

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