Wax jack

A wax jack (wax-jack, taper-jack^[2]) is a device used to hold a taper of sealing wax intended to create sealings on documents.

A simple wax jack (Sheffield plate), c. 1740^[1]

The wax jack was first introduced in 1700.^[3] Before that time a simple taper was used in a loose ball. Despite the resemblance to a candle, they were not used for illumination. Although common in England and Europe, they were not used much in North America.^[4]

Most early wax jacks were worked by silversmiths,^[5] although later models also exist in other metals such as iron, brass or bell metal.

Description

A wax jack was a vertical or horizontal shaft around which a thin beeswax taper was coiled. The top end protruded through a hole in a pan that had a pincer to hold the taper in place. This allowed the taper to be lit and the resulting puddle of wax easily controlled. Some models, called "bougie boxes," had a pierced enclosure around the shaft to protect the taper. They were often used when travelling,^[2] and to protect the taper from mice.^[6] Others included a snuffer.^[4]