Object Description
An Important Pair of Ormolu Basket Chandeliers
In the Louis XVI Style
Constructed from gilded bronze of the finest quality with clear crystal cut drops and cascading beads, the pair of chandeliers of rounded basket shape suspended from six decorative foliate-twined ribbons tied to the circular corona with foliage crescendo and dangling tassels beneath; the rim of the basket having patinated bronze panels and a trio of horn-playing putti perched on the ledge interspersed with ribbon-tied vases; all fitted with lights; below; the six ormolu ribs dressed with bacchanalian masks and musical trophies; the cascading crystal drops of graduated size enclosing a further six lights within, the bottom with faceted crystal drops.
French, circa 1910
The exceptional quality of the design and execution of this chandelier is akin to the production of the greatest Parisian ateliers of the Belle Époque such as Alfred Beurdeley or Henry Dasson, who’s legacy was carried on by a fervent generation of gifted designers in the early twentieth century. Among those who produced comparable chandeliers fitted for incandescent bulbs are François Linke and Raingo Frères.