Girandole - Gilt Bronze - Baccarat Crystal Tassels - Period: 20th Century

Lovely antique “girandole” with a varnished gilded bronze frame. It is decorated with baccarat crystal pendants. The pendants of different sizes are all topped with a small crystal flower magnifying its four arms of light. Magnificent white opaline candle covers enhance each arm of light and cleverly hide the electrical system of the bulbs. The electrical system has been overhauled and works perfectly. Period: 20th century. Style: Regency. Dimensions: height: 44cm X width: 33cm. A little history ! Girandole comes from the Italian word “giranda” which means beam, sheaf of rockets or jets of water. The idea of a circular thing is in the word “girare”, meaning “to turn”. Girandoles appeared in royal furniture from the 1660s. They made it possible to divide the light into several luminous focal points, and gradually replaced wax torches, table or hand torches and other single lighting objects. If the writings, invoices, orders, attest that girandoles abounded in Versailles, they mostly disappeared during the revolution and only a few rare examples, notably from the time of Louis XIV, have been preserved.