Antique Chandeliers
Posted by Gill Jones on 01/10/2013
When you walk into a room, usually a grand one, perhaps a stately home, it may have a piano and some expensive but well-worn carpets; there may be some handsome furniture from a bygone era strategically placed in the room’s centre. There may also be the sound of a wall clock and each exquisitely arranged piece of furniture will have its own story. But for me, the real centrepiece of the room will be the chandelier, with the light dancing through the glass creating a its own magical light show, a firework display of multi-coloured lights that light up the room in a way no other form of light can. This ostentatious display of glass is from an era of opulence and wealth; however they come from more humble beginnings.
The word chandelier comes from the French “chandelle,” which means literally, a light fitting attached to the ceiling. They started out simple enough with wooden beams of wood that formed a cross shape with a spike at each end to hold a candle. By the 16th century the candles they held were made from animal fat otherwise known as tallow. The chandelier’s job was to hold and contain the light from a fixed position, preferably in the ceiling where the light was at a central point in the room.
Only the largest and grandest buildings would have a chandelier, usually religious building such as churches and abbeys, but also castles and palaces throughout Europe. The wealthy enjoyed the light they provided in their homes and the invention of glass only added to their splendour with pieces of cut glass dangling from the arms of the chandelier giving the shimmering light effect so admired by lovers of chandeliers. While the poorer and more modest families settled for a wooden piece the rich would have the most opulent and ostentatious ones. Today of course, anyone can have a chandelier. They don’t have to be extremely large and ornate; they can be much smaller and less dramatic while still giving your home that certain something. As the glass is transparent the light is reflected giving off a sparkling effect that is seen at its best at night.
On www.antiques.co.uk there is a wide selection of chandeliers, each one unique with its own distinctive style. One of the most beautiful is the Italian giltwood 8 light antique chandelier with tubular scrolling arms and wooden candle bases; it seems to embody the old and the new, the simple and the ornate. It’s a reminder of a time gone by, yet it’s a 20th century chandelier that would fit beautifully in the 21st century.
From Italian to French we have the gilded 6 light antique chandelier with foliated scrolling arm and decorate leaf drip pans, it has a rather impressive rococo base section and it’s in excellent condition, a perfect addition to any room without taking all the attention. A rather interesting piece is the French birdcage form chandelier with 4 lights and a rectangular reeded rolling arm. The cut glass lights hanging from each candle stem are quite exquisite and the detailing is beautiful. Again, ornate but not to overly ostentatious and would fit nicely in most modest sized houses. Again, it’s from the early 20th century and the one thing that seems most striking about these chandeliers is that you don’t have to live in a grand manor house to accommodate one.
Finally, a rather unusual and real stand out number; a pair of castellated chandeliers, again from the early 20th century hanging from chains, which are silver plated. It would work well outdoors from an evening celebration or perhaps on a balmy summer evening with friends. It’s certainly different and although seemingly not quite as ostentatious as the first three, it’s certainly impressive, giving off a particularly medieval grandness.
Although they’ve been with us for hundreds of years and we have other more sophisticated and minimalist ways of lighting our homes, the chandelier still has the talent to charm and impress. No other form of light can light up a room the way a chandelier can with its winking lights and kaleidoscopic colours, it really is a beauty to behold.