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Antique and Vintage Chandeliers
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All chandeliers are hanging lamps, but are all hanging lamps chandeliers? Definitely not. Chandeliers take their name from the French word "chandelle," which means "candle" in English, while the English translation of the French word "chandelier"...
All chandeliers are hanging lamps, but are all hanging lamps chandeliers? Definitely not. Chandeliers take their name from the French word "chandelle," which means "candle" in English, while the English translation of the French word "chandelier" is "candlestick." Because burning candles need room to combust, lest they melt one another due to close proximity, chandeliers illuminated by candle power developed arms and tiers so that many candles at once could burn safely and brilliantly.
At first, the armatures holding candles or jars of oil fitted with wicks were spartan and simple in design, often consisting of nothing more than two pieces of wood secured at their junction, with a burning light source at each of the suspended structure's four ends. Then came the polycandelon, which is thought to be a product of the Byzantine Empire, gaining widespread acceptance in the 6th century. Though the designs of polycandelons varied, they generally featured a flat metal surface, often made of iron or a copper alloy, that was suspended by three metal chains for stability. In some cases, metal cups for oil were built onto the surface of the polycandelon, but many of these prototypical chandeliers featured openings in their horizontal surface designed to safely cradle glass or metal containers of oil.
Polycandelons of varying dimensions followed, typically hung in rows or groups, generating enough candle power to illuminate the interiors of large banquet halls and even churches. Then, sometime around the 11th century, Belgian brass artisans began to fashion fixtures that would appear very familiar to our modern ideal of a chandelier. These hanging candle holders, which were common by the 15h century and can be seen in paintings by Dutch Masters such as Jan Van Eyck and Gerrit Dou, were suspended from their bulbous middles and featured radiating, upturned arms, with a candle at each end. Soon, these brass fixtures were being gilded in silver and gold, the gilding catching the light and scattering it softly throughout a room.
Scattering was also on the minds of Venetian glassblowers of the 18th century, although their goal was not soft light but bright and dazzling illumination. This they accomplished by festooning their chandeliers with countless glass pendants, which dangled like from the chandelier's armature like so many crystals. Like the brass, bronze, iron, and copper used in the chandeliers that had preceded those of the Italians, glass crystal was not flammable, but its optical properties caught the light thrown by a chandelier's numerous flames, and then threw it even farther, amplifying candle power in a way that would not be matched until the advent of electricity. Concurrently, Bohemian glassblowers were also making a name for themselves with their crystal chandeliers, whose arms and trimmings alike were made of glass.
Once electricity arrived in the late 19th century, many of these same chandeliers were wired for light, fitted with fixtures for bulbs where scores of candlesticks had once burned bright. While many other chandeliers were piped for gas flames, electricity dominated the marketplace. Today, many of these early antique and vintage chandeliers are still functional. As for their style, you might not want to hang a vintage crystal chandelier over a Mid-Century Modern dining table, but in more cases than you'd think, the chandelier has proven to be a resilient design.
Continue readingAll chandeliers are hanging lamps, but are all hanging lamps chandeliers? Definitely not. Chandeliers take their name from the French word "chandelle," which means "candle" in English, while the English translation of the French word "chandelier" is "candlestick." Because burning candles need room to combust, lest they melt one another due to close proximity, chandeliers illuminated by candle power developed arms and tiers so that many candles at once could burn safely and brilliantly.
At first, the armatures holding candles or jars of oil fitted with wicks were spartan and simple in design, often consisting of nothing more than two pieces of wood secured at their junction, with a burning light source at each of the suspended structure's four ends. Then came the polycandelon, which is thought to be a product of the Byzantine Empire, gaining widespread acceptance in the 6th century. Though the designs of polycandelons varied, they generally featured a flat metal surface, often made of iron or a copper alloy, that was suspended by three metal chains for stability. In some cases, metal cups for oil were built onto the surface of the polycandelon, but many of these prototypical chandeliers featured openings in their horizontal surface designed to safely cradle glass or metal containers of oil.
Polycandelons of varying dimensions followed, typically hung in rows or groups, generating enough candle power to illuminate the interiors of large banquet halls and even churches. Then, sometime around the 11th century, Belgian brass artisans began to fashion fixtures that would appear very familiar to our modern ideal of a chandelier. These hanging candle holders, which were common by the 15h century and can be seen in paintings by Dutch Masters such as Jan Van Eyck and Gerrit Dou, were suspended from their bulbous middles and featured radiating, upturned arms, with a candle at each end. Soon, these brass fixtures were being gilded in silver and gold, the gilding...
All chandeliers are hanging lamps, but are all hanging lamps chandeliers? Definitely not. Chandeliers take their name from the French word "chandelle," which means "candle" in English, while the English translation of the French word "chandelier" is "candlestick." Because burning candles need room to combust, lest they melt one another due to close proximity, chandeliers illuminated by candle power developed arms and tiers so that many candles at once could burn safely and brilliantly.
At first, the armatures holding candles or jars of oil fitted with wicks were spartan and simple in design, often consisting of nothing more than two pieces of wood secured at their junction, with a burning light source at each of the suspended structure's four ends. Then came the polycandelon, which is thought to be a product of the Byzantine Empire, gaining widespread acceptance in the 6th century. Though the designs of polycandelons varied, they generally featured a flat metal surface, often made of iron or a copper alloy, that was suspended by three metal chains for stability. In some cases, metal cups for oil were built onto the surface of the polycandelon, but many of these prototypical chandeliers featured openings in their horizontal surface designed to safely cradle glass or metal containers of oil.
Polycandelons of varying dimensions followed, typically hung in rows or groups, generating enough candle power to illuminate the interiors of large banquet halls and even churches. Then, sometime around the 11th century, Belgian brass artisans began to fashion fixtures that would appear very familiar to our modern ideal of a chandelier. These hanging candle holders, which were common by the 15h century and can be seen in paintings by Dutch Masters such as Jan Van Eyck and Gerrit Dou, were suspended from their bulbous middles and featured radiating, upturned arms, with a candle at each end. Soon, these brass fixtures were being gilded in silver and gold, the gilding catching the light and scattering it softly throughout a room.
Scattering was also on the minds of Venetian glassblowers of the 18th century, although their goal was not soft light but bright and dazzling illumination. This they accomplished by festooning their chandeliers with countless glass pendants, which dangled like from the chandelier's armature like so many crystals. Like the brass, bronze, iron, and copper used in the chandeliers that had preceded those of the Italians, glass crystal was not flammable, but its optical properties caught the light thrown by a chandelier's numerous flames, and then threw it even farther, amplifying candle power in a way that would not be matched until the advent of electricity. Concurrently, Bohemian glassblowers were also making a name for themselves with their crystal chandeliers, whose arms and trimmings alike were made of glass.
Once electricity arrived in the late 19th century, many of these same chandeliers were wired for light, fitted with fixtures for bulbs where scores of candlesticks had once burned bright. While many other chandeliers were piped for gas flames, electricity dominated the marketplace. Today, many of these early antique and vintage chandeliers are still functional. As for their style, you might not want to hang a vintage crystal chandelier over a Mid-Century Modern dining table, but in more cases than you'd think, the chandelier has proven to be a resilient design.
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