The early population of the Connecticut River Valley was principally of English origin. This homogeneous heritage is reflected in construction techniques and aesthetic preferences that were prevalent in England and were retained and used in America. This candle box belongs to a group of similar late-eighteenth-century utilitarian forms that feature vigorous compass-scribed decorative motifs of pinwheels, flowers, and radiating stars. The compass designs have precedents in carved and painted decoration on case furniture of the region, as well as gravestone imagery, where they often cap the ends of the stone. The rigid geometry of the medallions and the manner in which they are placed demonstrate the persistence of aesthetic ideas and the conservative nature of New England society, as the compass motifs may be vestiges of the earlier Mannerist visual traditions that had a profound influence on the decorative arts in New England in the seventeenth century.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Hanging Candle Box," in American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 296.