Louis XV style chandelier; twelve lights. Glass, bronze. Baccarat, France, 19th century. Signed. Adapted to electric light. Chandelier with a golden metal body as an axis from which a series of rods of the same material branch out in different positions, creating a composition of several floors and giving space for the points of light and the elements of white transparent glass. These come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes (star-shaped or flower-shaped; others have a complex design and are engraved with a Greek cross on the lower part of them; there are others with vase-shaped shapes; saucers that were originally under the candles and are now under the rods of the light bulbs), combining smooth areas with other striped and engraved ones. The metal arms have hardly any decoration, thus giving prominence to the glass; in this same material there are polygonal “saucers” under the points of light, a crown in the upper area of the lamp, etc. It has three points of light wrapped in lampshades facing downwards, another three points of light facing upwards in an inner circle, and six more in the outer area. The French Baccarat factory received its first order in 1823, thus beginning a long series of works for royal houses, heads of state, etc. around the world. The first of many accolades would come in 1855 when it was awarded the Gold Medal at the World's Fair in Paris. Between 1846 and 1849 the manufacture marked some of its finest crystal items with the letter “B” and the year in which the piece was created. Crystal production expanded during this period, and earned the firm a well-deserved international reputation for quality glassware, with pieces such as candlesticks and perfume bottles. By 1860 the manufacture began marking its products with a trademark, usually engraved on the base of the piece. During the second half of the 19th century, the Imperial era ended with the fall of Napoleon III, and trends outside French art began to have a significant influence on the company's work (particularly Japanese, a key influence on the development of French decorative arts at the end of this century). During these years, the factory also grew significantly on the Asian continent (India received some of the most striking orders...), and the production of perfume bottles became one of the most important for Baccarat (by 1907 production was around four thousand bottles a day). In 1936, Baccarat began to engrave its work with acid and the shot-blasting technique. Today, historical Baccarat pieces can be seen in the museum that bears its name in Paris, in prominent residences in Europe and Asia, etc.
· Size: 90x90x130 cms.
ANTIQUES
Ref.: ZF0279
