Royal Worcester produced a whole run of figural candle snuffers modelled as character heads through the 20th century, "Old Woman" among them, part of a broader factory tradition of turning small functional objects into miniature portraits rather than leaving them plain and utilitarian. This one takes the form of an older woman's head, the sculptural detail concentrated entirely in the face, which is where a piece this small has to do all its character work.
Snuffers like this were used to extinguish a candle without the smoke and wax spatter that blowing it out directly can cause, a practical bit of Georgian-derived etiquette that stuck around in decorative form long after most households had switched to other light sources entirely. Dated to the 1970's, this is a comparatively late example of a form with roots stretching back much further, made purely for its charm rather than any real household necessity by that point.
