Definition and Types of Chandeliers
– A chandelier is a branched ornamental light fixture designed for ceilings or walls.
– Chandeliers are often ornate and use incandescent light bulbs.
– Some modern designs also use fluorescent lamps and LEDs.
– Chandeliers can have hanging crystal prisms for refracted light or a minimalist design for direct light.
– Chandeliers are distinct from pendant lights as they have multiple lamps and decorative elements.
– Types of chandeliers include candelabrum, candlebeam, crown, Montgolfière chandelier, and Regency style chandelier.
Historical Evolution of Chandeliers
– Chandeliers evolved from candelabra and were invented during the medieval period.
– They originally used candles as a light source, later replaced by gas and electric lights.
– Chandeliers with oil lamps were used in the Byzantine period.
– Polycandela, bronze or iron frames with glass beakers filled with oil, were used in churches and aristocratic households.
– From the 15th century, more complex chandeliers with ring or crown designs became popular symbols of luxury.
Materials and Styles of Chandeliers
– Chandeliers were made with cast ormolu, carved and gilded wood, and later lead crystal.
– Neoclassical motifs and ancient Greek and Roman aesthetics influenced chandelier designs.
– Bohemian and Venetian glassmakers produced glass chandeliers with facets and bevels for light refraction.
– Murano chandeliers featured intricate arabesques of leaves, flowers, and fruits made with unique soda glass.
– Gasoliers, gas and electric chandeliers, were produced in the mid-19th century.
Uses and Locations of Chandeliers
– Chandeliers are often installed in hallways, living rooms, staircases, lounges, and dining rooms.
– Miniature chandeliers can be installed in smaller spaces like bedrooms.
– Larger chandeliers are commonly found in churches and cathedrals.
– Chandeliers were historically used for interior lighting in theaters and important palaces.
– Chandeliers became decorative focal points in rooms towards the end of the 20th century.
Notable Examples and Decorations of Chandeliers
– The Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul has the world’s largest English chandelier with 750 lamps and weighing 4.5 tons.
– The palace also has a large collection of British and Baccarat crystal chandeliers.
– Chandeliers in the Adam style are light, airy, and elegant, often of English origin.
– Some chandeliers are designed to imitate candle flames or contain shimmering gas discharge bulbs.
– Cut glass chandeliers dominated from 1750 to at least 1900 due to the light scattering properties of lead crystal.
– Chandelier decorations include canopy, cage, festoon, finial, and spire.
Additional Information:
– Parts of a chandelier include arm plate, bag, baluster, bead, and bobèche.
– Chandelier materials include crystal, Dutch style brass, soda glass, Venetian glass, and wood.
– Related terms and references include candelabra, ceiling rose, girandole, J. & L. Lobmeyr, and light fixture. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelier
A chandelier (/ˌʃændəˈlɪər/; sometimes called suspended lights) is an ornamental light fixture, often with branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be mounted from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now incandescent light bulbs are commonly used, and fluorescent lamps and LEDs may also be used in some modern designs.
A wide variety of materials ranging from wood to silver can be used to make chandelier; historically the most important are brass with Dutch and Flemish brass chandelier the best-known, and glass with true glass chandeliers evolving in Italy, England, France, and Bohemia in the 18th century. Classic glass chandeliers have arrays of hanging crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light, while contemporary chandeliers may assume a more minimalist design that does not contain prisms and illuminate a room with direct light from the lamps, sometimes also equipped with translucent glass covering each lamp. Modern chandeliers have a more modernized design that uses LEDs, and combines the elements of both classic and contemporary designs; some are also equipped with refractive crystal prisms or small mirrors.
Chandeliers are distinct from pendant lights, as they usually consist of multiple lamps and hang in branched frames, whereas pendant lights hang from a single cord and only contain one or two lamps with fewer decorative elements. Due to their size, they are often installed in hallways, living rooms, staircases, lounges, and dining rooms. However, miniature chandeliers also exist, which can be installed in smaller spaces such as bedrooms or small living spaces. The most typical places for larger chandeliers are churches or cathedrals.
