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Italian gilt bronze chandelier with glass and crystals from the 1920s

Offered by: Linea Gallery

Description
Large chandelier in gilt bronze, glass, and crystal. Italian production from the 1920s.

This grand chandelier, with its striking visual impact and exquisite craftsmanship, hails from a time when the advent of electric lighting in homes—through thin, fabric-covered, twisted copper wires—transformed lamps from oil or gas-based sources into central elements of interior design. Freed from the structural necessity of supporting candles or oil lamps, the chandelier became a canvas for imaginative and diverse designs.

This particular chandelier embodies a style in Italy variously known as "Stile Floreale" or "Liberty." Distinct from French Art Nouveau and German Jugendstil, this style developed its own identity through a creative, often naive, blend of various aesthetic traditions. This trend mirrored the enthusiasm of a certain educated, commercial bourgeoisie, receptive to novelties yet highly conservative.

Elegant homes, often laden with decorous abundance, featured chandeliers like this one. Today, a century later, this chandelier—once anchored to a stuccoed ceiling—continues to captivate as both a historical artifact and a unique, evocative object. It is well-suited for grand, expansive spaces. Its vertical prominence and bronze structure, adorned with garlands and natural motifs, are complemented by four horned zoomorphic figures gazing downward. Their bovine eyes suggest the once formidable power of nature, now tamed by human scientific progress, rendered harmless and docile.

This 20th-century Prometheus has imprisoned the once-feared power of electricity in a bronze lamp, subjugating it to illuminate spaces on command. The chandelier's four etched glass panels shield the bulbs within the central stem, providing direct light. The sequence of cut crystal pendants reflects light, casting small, shimmering reflections.

The chandelier is in good condition, with minor imperfections that do not affect its functionality or aesthetic appeal.

Dimensions: 56 W x 56 D x 125 H cm

More Information

Origin:	Italy
Period:	1920-1949
Materials:	Bronze,Crystal,Glass,Gilt
Condition:	Good. Wear consistent with age and use.
Styles / Movements:	Modern, Art Deco
Incollect Reference #:	732938