I purchased this a long time ago from Frank Cowan. I have been to museums & historic castles all over Europe & Great Britian and have seen many splint holders, but I have never seen one so fantastic. Hand forged iron. Designed to fit into chinks between stonework or perhaps between a stone lintel and plaster; meant to be used in a hearth setting, or a stone staircase, or a room with a stone floor. Exactly why it has a pierced drip pan, I cannot say… each round and square piercing is slightly different… maybe it is purely decorative. Nevertheless, the craftmanship, the gauge of the iron, the design of the splint trident and the size of the rivets - all conspire to make this one of the most remarkable lighting devices I have owned!  Excellent 17th century condition with wear in all the right places. 14 ½ long, 5 inches tall & 5 inches wide. A Curator at the Ashmolean said it was Scottish, but thistles grow in Southern Europe too!