The Collectors
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Friday 24 November 2006
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Chandeliers are experiencing a renaissance as a form of lighting for modern spaces.
Their decorative features are becoming an attractive addition to interiors, as well as being collector items for the home. A chandelier is generally perceived as a glittering white glass centre-piece hanging in opulent surroundings, but we discover there have been many different interpretations of this traditional form of lighting.
The word chandelier is derived from the old French word ‘chandelle’ meaning ‘tallow candle’. Structures to hold candles were suspended from the ceiling were first used in medieval times to add more light to the cavernous rooms of churches and abbeys. The first chandeliers were made from crossed pieces of timber, or metal rings or crowns with metal prickets to hold the candles. Traditional glass chandeliers developed from this basic idea. They have been made on the island of Murano, off the coast of Italy since 1450. Gordon shows us a modern example of a yellow Murano glass chandelier that is still being made by one of the oldest companies in the world, Barovier & Toso.
We also see the gorgeous examples of opulent 19th century glass chandeliers in the ballroom at Government House, Hobart made by F. & C. Osler of Birmingham, one of the most prestigious makers at that time. These chandeliers were originally gas. As a contrast we see the oldest colonial chandelier in the country with a provenance that was designed and made especially for the Hebrew Synagogue in Hobart. The Synagogue opened in 1845.
The concept of a chandelier has been reinterpreted by many 21st century designers such as the Zeppelin cocoon-designed chandelier of Marcel Wanders. He used a modern plastic material to cover a circle of glass candles.
