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“Marie-Antoinette” Chandelier

France, Circa 1870

A grand antique Louis XVI style chandelier in cut crystal and silvered bronze, crafted in France circa 1870, during the Second Empire. Baluster-profile crystal chandeliers of this type are traditionally named “Marie-Antoinette” in homage to the Queen, whose refined taste defined late 18th-century interiors, from the Petit Trianon to the salons of Paris. Standing 1.40 metres high, it features a spectacular dual-tier lighting arrangement: twelve interior lights illuminate the central stem, composed of crystal beadings and baluster elements, while twelve scrolling branches radiate outward, terminating in bobeches set upon foliate drip pans. A central corona, adorned with heart-shaped spears, is connected to the arms and the top of the chandelier by festoons of faceted round and oval crystal beads. Pendeloques, prisms, rosettes, spears, and drops—some with amber highlights—dress the ensemble in a dazzling cascade of light. The chandelier terminates in a faceted crystal sphere. With its impressive proportions and the richness of its crystal dressing, this chandelier is ideally suited to grand interiors: a reception room, formal dining room, or dramatic stairwell.

18 500 €