Vintage Danish Balance Candle Holders for Christmas Tree in Original Nisse Box, Illum Copenhagen AS FOUND
$19.99
Before electric lights, Scandinavian families lit their Christmas trees with real candles, and this is how they kept them upright: a counterweight.
This is a vintage Danish set of balance candle holders in the original box, which reads "10 STK. BALANCE LYSHOLDERE til julelys" — 8 balance candle holders for Christmas candles. The box alone is worth the price of admission, with a wonderful mid century nisse (Danish Christmas gnome) graphic in red and green.
Details
- Item: Danish balance candle holders for Christmas tree, set of 8 as marked on the box, shown as found
- Era: Mid 20th century, not confirmed
- Materials: Green lacquered metal wire, cardboard box
- Color: Deep green holders; green, red, and white box
- Maker/Mark: No maker's mark on the holders. The box carries an M heart logo and an original price sticker from Illum, the Copenhagen department store, marked 16.95
- Style: Counterweight pendulum design — the spiral cup holds the candle, the hook rests over the branch, and the weighted ball below keeps the candle standing straight
- Special Features: Original box with mid century Danish graphic design, original Danish retail sticker
- Size: Box 6.75 x 3.75 x 0.5 inches; each holder 5.5 inches long
Condition Grade: Good
Positives
- Holders are straight and unbent with glossy green finish intact
- Complete in the original box, found as a set
- Original Illum Copenhagen price sticker still attached, a nice piece of provenance
Issues / Wear
- Box shows corner wear, creasing, and edge rubbing from age and storage
- Sold as a vintage decorative item, shown as found
See all photos for detail — sold as pictured.
Condition Grade Key
- Near Fine: Almost perfect. Very minor signs of age only.
- Very Good: Shows light use. Sound and attractive with minor flaws.
- Good: Complete and intact. Noticeable wear consistent with age and use.
- Fair: Shows significant wear. Readable or usable but clearly used.
Collector's Notes
Real candles on the tree are still a living tradition in Denmark, and balance holders like these were the clever, everyday solution: physics doing the work of keeping the flame upright on a sloping branch.
The Illum sticker places this set in one of Copenhagen's grand department stores, where someone picked it up for 16.95 kroner one December.
This set suits a Scandinavian Christmas collector, anyone who decorates with vintage holiday pieces, or a collector of mid century packaging — that nisse graphic deserves to be displayed, not stored.
The detail worth noticing is the design itself: one bent wire, one weighted ball, and a problem solved so simply it never needed improving.
Shipping + Trust (Reading Vintage standards)
∙Photo-verified condition (no surprises)
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Disclaimer
All items are vintage and may show signs of age, wear, or use consistent with their history. Photos show the exact condition of each piece—please review them carefully, as they are part of the description.
While I do my best to capture colors accurately, your monitor or device screen may display colors slightly differently from the actual item.
Please Note:
These pieces come from estate collections and have been surface cleaned. You may wish to perform additional cleaning depending on your preference.
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Yes. Every photo on this page is the actual item you will receive. Not a stock photo, not a similar copy. What you see is what ships.
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Honestly. This is vintage, so expect some age. When I find wear, writing, stains, loose pages, chips, or missing pieces, I note them and show them in the photos. Some marks add character. Some are just flaws. I tell you which is which so you can decide if this is the right one for you.
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With care. Old books and fragile pieces are wrapped and boxed so they arrive the way they left me. Careful packing is one of the things buyers mention most in their reviews. Orders of $35 or more ship free.
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Probably not. Everything here is one of a kind, and I rarely find the same item twice. Once it sells, it is gone. Vintage does not restock neatly.
Good to Know Before You Buy
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