Antique French Louis Xiv Style Twelve Branch Ormolu Chandelier C1900

This is a highly decorative French Louis XIV style twelve branch ormolu chandelier, Circa 1900 in date.

Emanating from a central column, the upper part is dressed with three female caryatids interspersed with foliage and issuing decorative six scroll arms with urn shaped sconces, above a further six slightly wider and also highly decorative scroll arms also with urn shaped sconces, and it is completed with a stunning round finely chased base with a striking foliate cast pendant.

Offered in really excellent condition.

Condition:

In excellent condition having been dismantled cleaned and rewired in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 72 x Width 62 x Depth 62

Dimensions in inches:

Height 28.3 x Width 24.4 x Depth 24.4

The word chandelier appeared in the English language in the late 14th century, borrowed directly from 12th century Old Spanish. This was a new spelling of the 10th century French word chandelabre, which comes from the Latin candelabrum, itself from the Latin candela (meaning candle).

The earliest candle chandeliers were used by the wealthy in medieval times.

The world's largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, a gift from Queen Victoria, is located in the Dolmabahe Palace in Istanbul. It has 750 lamps and weighs 4.5 tons. Dolmabahe has the largest collection of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers in the world, and one of the great staircases has balusters of Baccarat crystal.

Ormolu - (from French 'or moulu', signifying ground or pounded gold) is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground, high-carat gold in a mercury amalgam to an object of bronze.The mercury is driven off in a kiln leaving behind a gold-coloured veneer known as 'gilt bronze'.

The manufacture of true ormolu employs a process known as mercury-gilding or fire-gilding, in which a solution of nitrate of mercury is applied to a piece of copper, brass, or bronze, followed by the application of an amalgam of gold and mercury. The item was then exposed to extreme heat until the mercury burned off and the gold remained, adhered to the metal object.

Our reference: 08398

Internal Ref:

08398

Date of manufacture : 1900