Another glass thing: the Italian bottles used as candleholders are technically called "fiaschi". They went out of fashion because modern day wine bottles invented by Vauxtrot (now Verallia) started becoming available in Italy at much cheaper prices and as wine consumption plummeted starting in the 60's, effectively ending the old tradition of having large bottles refilled once or twice a week for which the fiaschi had been invented.
As Vauxtrot type bottles became widespread, fiaschi manufacturers got creative and started marketing themselves to different markets, such as candle holders. They never had much success in Italy, outside perhaps very tourist-oriented places, but like many other similar stuff they got exported in mass abroad. Kinda like the chequered table cloth it's part of the "Italian restaurant" image, and image that doesn't exist in reality, just like "Italian cuisine" is an artificial creation.
And since we are on a gardening website, does anybody remember tha Poulan Wild Thing "chainsaw"? I always get a kick out of it.
