A Gilt-Bronze and Tole Twelve-Light Chandelier, Attributed to Maison Beurdeley

An Important Louis XV style twelve-light rock crystal and gilt-bronze chandelier. French, circa 1850. An important Louis XV style twelve-light rock crystal and gilt-bronze chandelier, surmounted by a floral corona, issuing six scrolling branches, each terminating with three circular drip pans and nozzles, decorated all over with drops, grapes, apples and baluster shaped shades. The etymology of the word "crystal" has its origins in the Ancient Greek word for ice ‘krystallos’. Rock crystal which is always cool to the touch they considered to be ice permanently frozen by the Gods. For thousands of years Rock crystal has been prized for its beauty and remarkable ability to refract light. When cut and polished, the inherent striations and inclusions of the crystal create a refracted light richer in luminosity than that of manmade crystal or glass. These properties have made it highly desirable throughout history; its scarcity ensuring its use was limited to all but the most luxurious of decorative items. Rock crystal is in reality a natural quartz, pure monocrystals of siliceous oxide. A material of exceptional hardness with indices of light refraction close to that of a diamond, quartz has been mined and worked since antiquity. In the Middle Ages, this rare material was used almost exclusively on religious objects. A prohibitively expensive material, Cristal de roche was first mined in France in small quantities in the 17th century and its rarity forced artisans to innovate. The imitation of crystal began in Venice in the 15th century - the art of the glassmaker being to recreate the limpidity and luminosity of rock crystal. To do this, the glassmakers invented a 'crystal' made in reality of glass combined with a mixture of potassium, silicon, manganese and lead oxide heated to between 1200 and 1500 degrees. This crystal imitated rock crystal, although it displays a metallic colouring. This crystal de roche should not be confused with what is now called crystal. The latter was a development of 18th century Bohemia and, subsequently France with the Manufacture Royale de cristaux. Rock crystal first appears as small beads on candelabras and chandeliers - not yet called lustres - in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century the discovery of new seams in Central Europe allowed the mining of larger blocks of crystal, which could in turn be worked into pyramids, drops and stars. The highest value was historically based, like diamonds, on two things - the weight and the clarity or limpidity of the crystal. The clearer the better, hence the phrase d'une très belle eau when referring to crystal. Perhaps the earliest recorded-reference in France is in 1697, when Louis XIV offered twelve grand 'lustres' in 'cristal de roche' to the King of Siam. Louis XV also possessed a chandelier with twelve branches in his chambre a coucher at Versailles which had been delivered by Delaroue and Slodtz. This was commented on by the duc de Luynes: 'on a mis dans la chambre du roi, un chandelier en cristal de roche d...

A fine Louis XVI style gilt-bronze and cut-glass eight-light chandelier, French, Circa 1900.

A Louis XVI Style Gilt-Bronze Six-Light Chandelier 'Aux Termes'. The central blue-painted tole bowl with spirally fluted lid and pomegranate finial. Modelled with three caryatid ter...

A Louis XVI Style Gilt-Bronze six-light chandelier 'aux Termes' Attributed to Emmanuel-Alfred (dit Alfred II) Beurdeley, Paris. Modelled with three caryatid term figures holding spiral branches issuing candle nozzles. The whole executed in exceptionally finely cast gilt-bronze with beautiful matte and burnished gilding. The bowl in blue-painted tole. The prototype for this chandelier dates to the end of the eighteenth century, is attributed to the bronzier François Rémond and is in the Nissim de Camondo museum in Paris (Inv. CAM 146). Another, dated to circa 1785, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (1972.242). This example is attributed to the celebrated ébéniste and bronzier Maison Beurdeley, owing to the fine quality of the gilt-bronze and in relation to a drawing for the model which is held in the Beurdeley archives in the library of the Musée des Arts Decoratifs, Paris. France, Circa 1880. Provenance: Collection Pierre...

A lovely French six-light chandelier attributed to Maison Charles, circa 1950. Gilt bronze arms and accents with nickel bobeche and palm fronds. Lovely piece of excellent quality.

French Regency gilt bronze and crystal twelve light chandelier with decorative scrolled arms, foliage filigree banding and lower pineapple finial. Originally candle powered and has b...

A fine Regency chandelier of tent and waterfall design the drop hung feather cut dishes cascading to a rule drop tent this draped to the main decorative band this issuing twelve bran...

A Classic Louis XV style chandelier having 8 arms and 12 lamps (4 central). The gilt metal frame is heavily laden with various sized crystal plaquettes. Originally candle lit but no...