A HIGHLY IMPORTANT REGENCY PERIOD EIGHT-LIGHT CHANDELIER

Description / Expertise

With a bowl of superb glass pendants suspended from a chased and mercurial gilded frame, the frame being decorated with oak leaves, anthemions, magnificent leopards' masks with exotic head-dresses, the eight engraved storm globes are placed on the rim in finely chased cups, the anthemion motives are used to add to the decorative appearance of the chandelier.From the central rim, four supporting ormolu arms hold the central stem shaped as a glass vase but totally made up of crystal drops. The central and final canopy is also made up of ormolu, crystal drops, swags and pendants.

This type of chandelier is rare and by the same maker (possibly Blades of London) as the chandelier illustrated by Martin Mortimer in his book The English Glass Chandelier . Martin Mortimer suggests that some of the most important chandeliers by Blades were sent to the Maharajahs in India. Blades was also the only company to have employed the services of a designer and it is known that J.B. Papworth the architect was closely involved in some of their more innovative designs.

A fine print of the Blades' showroom at 5 Ludgate Hill in London was produced by Ackermann's Depository of Arts in 1823, and upon close examination, several chandeliers with storm globes can be seen of similar design.