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A very fine Empire Baltic gilt and patinated bronze and gilt repoussé metal and clear cut-glass twelve-light chandelier, the circular gilt bronze corona issuing five overhanging beaded bobèches, each with a pendant faceted drop and hung below by a ring of faceted drops above a vase-shaped stem and a smaller conforming corona issuing nine projecting beaded bobèches, each with a pendant faceted drop and hung below with a ring of faceted drops, above a cut-glass shaft above the main ring supporting winged griffins, each issuing a candle branch terminating in leaf tip cast drip-pans and turned nozzles and hung with faceted drops, the main ring supporting a clear glass bowl cut with diamond and striated patterns centred by a gilt and faceted glass finial
The Baltic States, date circa 1810-30
Height 100 cm, diameter 95 cm.
From about 1790 up until circa 1850 chandeliers of considerable quality were produced in both Sweden and Russia. The Regency tent-shaped chandeliers provided the main inspiration for their design, but unlike European models, the Baltic chandeliers were sometimes made with amber or coloured glass combined with clear cut-glass. Glass cutting was of the highest standard but since nearly all the Baltic glasshouses used foreign workers it is now often difficult to determine the exact origin of these magnificent chandeliers. They are however easily identified by their profusion of decoration, greater use of pendant drops, additional glass beadwork and sometimes the combination of different coloured glass.
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