Cuthbert Mouse Candle Holder

He holds the candle the way the youngest child in the house holds the diya during aarti, with both hands out in front, standing up straight and trying hard not to spill anything. Cuthbert is a small cast aluminium mouse, 8 cm tall, up on his back legs on a round base, and the cup in his paws takes an ordinary dinner candle. A mouse already has a place near the light in Indian homes, since Mooshak, Ganesha’s vahan, is shown at his feet holding a modak, and this chhota sa mouse has been given a candle to hold instead.

The finish is antique brass, rubbed darker into the folds of the fur and left brighter on the nose and the ears, the way old brass looks after years of hands touching it. No 2 pieces come out the same. Some show more of the dark brown and some show more gold, and a small scratch in the patina from the casting is part of the look, not damage.

A 2 cm Dinner Candle Fits Without Wax

The cup takes a standard 2 cm dinner candle, the thin kind sold in any general store, and it holds the candle firmly on its own, so there is no need to melt wax into the cup or wrap tape around the bottom. The base is about 7.5 cm across, which keeps him steady on a table, and he is heavier than he looks for his size. If an elbow knocks him, he will tip over and nothing will break, because he is metal all the way through. The candle is not included in the box.

Anyone who prefers tealights can go for the tealight Cuthbert instead, which is the same mouse holding a round dish, with his tail curled underneath to make the base.

Keep Him Within Arm’s Reach

At 8 cm he gives a small circle of warm light, enough for 1 or 2 people sitting close to it, and on a big console table he gets lost among everything else. He belongs on a dinner table set for 2, with 1 mouse beside each plate, or on the bedside table of someone who reads late, so the flame lights the page and leaves the rest of the room dark. On the night before an exam he can keep company on a study desk, and during Ganesh Chaturthi or Diwali he sits well on the puja shelf with his candle lit. Wherever he ends up, the candle should never be left burning with no one in the room.

Wipe him with a soft dry cloth to keep the dust off. Do not polish him, wash him in water or use a scrubber on him, because the dark antique finish will rub away and a shiny silver mouse will come out from underneath.