Chandeliers and Pendants
Mid-20th Century Unknown Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
20th Century Swedish Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
2010s Italian Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Enamel
1930s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster
1910s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1950s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
1930s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Bronze
Early 18th Century European Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1930s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster
1960s Italian Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1950s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
20th Century American Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Late 18th Century Italian Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Iron
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Metal
1970s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1970s Italian Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1850s French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze
Early 1900s French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1970s European Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1990s Italian Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1910s Austrian Folk Art Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
1920s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
1930s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Ormolu
19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Brass, Metal
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 1800s Italian Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Silver Leaf
20th Century Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Ormolu
1920s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Early 19th Century Baltic Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary German Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 19th Century German Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
20th Century Russian Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 19th Century German Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1930s Italian Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
1920s Italian Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Wire
1930s Italian Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Marble, Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Chandeliers and Pendants
Ceramic, Stoneware
1920s French Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Ormolu
Late 20th Century European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century British Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
20th Century French Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Ormolu, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Antique, Vintage and Contemporary Chandeliers and Pendant Lights
Chandeliers — simple in form, inspired by candelabras and originally made of wood or iron — first made an appearance in early churches. For those wealthy enough to afford them for their homes in the medieval period, a chandelier's suspended lights likely exuded imminent danger, as lit candles served as the light source for fixtures of the era. Things have thankfully changed since then, and antique and vintage chandeliers and pendant lights are popular in many interiors today.
While gas lighting during the late 18th century represented an upgrade for chandeliers — and gas lamps would long inspire Danish architect and pioneering modernist lighting designer Poul Henningsen — it would eventually be replaced with the familiar electric lighting of today.
The key difference between a pendant light and a chandelier is that a pendant incorporates only a single bulb into its design. Don’t mistake this for simplicity, however. An Art Deco–styled homage to Sputnik from Murano glass artisans Giovanni Dalla Fina (note: there is more than one lighting fixture that shares its name with the iconic mid-century-era satellite — see Gino Sarfatti’s design too), with handcrafted decorative elements supported by a chrome frame, is just one stunning example of the elaborate engineering that can be incorporated into every component of a chandelier.
Chandeliers have evolved over time, but their classic elegance has remained unchanged. Not only will the right chandelier prove impressive in a given room, but it can also offer a certain sense of practicality. These fixtures can easily illuminate an entire space, while their elevated position prevents them from creating glare or straining one’s eyes. Certain materials, like glass, can complement naturally lit settings without stealing the show. Brass, on the other hand, can introduce an alluring, warm glow. While LEDs have earned a bad reputation for their perceived harsh bluish lights and a loss of brightness over their life span, the right design choices can help harness their lighting potential and create the perfect mood. A careful approach to lighting can transform your room into a peaceful and cozy nook, ideal for napping, reading or working.
For midsize spaces, a wall light or sconce can pull the room together and get the lighting job done. Perforated steel rings underneath five bands of handspun aluminum support a rich diffusion of light within Alvar Aalto's Beehive pendant light, but if you’re looking to brighten a more modest room, perhaps a minimalist solution is what you’re after. The mid-century modern furniture designer Charlotte Perriand devised her CP-1 wall lamps in the 1960s, in which a repositioning of sheet-metal plates can redirect light as needed.
The versatility and variability of these lighting staples mean that, when it comes to finding something like the perfect chandelier, you’ll never be left hanging. From the whimsical — like the work of Beau & Bien’s Sylvie Maréchal, frequently inspired by her dreams — to the classic beauty of Paul Ferrante's fixtures, there is a style for every room. With designs for pendant lights and chandeliers across eras, colors and materials, you’ll never run out of options to explore on 1stDibs.