CHANDELIER. An apparatus suspended from the ceiling or vault and supporting two or more lighting units. Usually, in modern times, the lights are supported on arms or branches radiating from a central shaft. The chandelier may be said to have originated in the ancient suspended oil lamp (lychnus) of several wicks (polytnixos) used by the Romans. (See Fig. 1). By the 4th century A.D. the Church began to use corona., phari, pharicanthari; circuli luminum, polycandele, etc., carrying a multitude of candles (Pope Adrian presented Saint Peter's, Rome, with one carrying 1,370 candles in the 8th century). These were all terms for the corona lucis (see CORONA), or crown light. Great and beautiful examples of these elaborate crown lights are still in existence in the °heavenly Jerusalem' design, with their small towers or *tabernacles* or *gates* for the Apostles. That presented by Frederick Barbarossa to the minter at Aix la-Chapelle is 13 feet in diameter. (See Fig. 2). Another is in the Hildesheim Cathedral (circa 1050), 20 feet in diameter with 72 candle hold ers. Most of the elaborate crown lights were constructed in the 1 lth and 12th centuries, and while many carried candles, others were for oil lamps. Their construction was, for the most part, of metal (copper, iron, silver, even gold) and ornamented with enamels, etc.; some were of wood. In the 13th century elaborate forged more general. Flanders produced lovely chan deliers at this time which are yet much ad mired. To this century belongs the famous historic *Galileo* chandelier in the cathedral of Piza, a magnificent work of bronze of the Italian Renaissance, whose swinging is said to have led to the pendulum in horology. In the 17th century a few wooden chandeliers were still produced, but with artistic carved decora tion — most of them were constructed for tem porary (festivals, etc.) use. Under Louis XIII Dutch copper chandeliers became popular. This style had a central shaft composed of a num ber of balls relieved by balustre forms. A com mon device was to have the chandelier sur mounted by a royal crown, ducal or other coro net. Very elaborate chandeliers were produced in this century in wrought iron, bronze and copper (Flanders was doing very fine work in copper castings). Silver was used to some extent, also rock crystal was becoming quite ironwork was in great vogue, therefore chan deliers were fashioned in this manner. In the 14th century chandeliers began to take on a star or radiation form with six to eight branches supporting a number of candles or lamps. These were mostly of bronze. In this period a species of trophy device in chande liers took form in Germany, made up of the horns of the animals of the chase (stag, elk, elephant, etc.). This fashion remained popular till the 18th century. In the 15th century wooden crosses acted as chandeliers frequently. Oak was much favored, and, while many were quite plain, others, for church use, had elab orately carved centrepieces from which radi ated handsomely decorated curved arms of forged iron supporting candle sockets; others were entirely of bronze or copper, a few of silver. The plain crown light still persisted. The 16th century retained much of the radiate style of the preceding century but rock-crystal decoration (which had been practised in a modest way since the 13th century) appears (from documentary evidence) to have become the vogue; but the former was alone used by royalty, nobility and the Church. The crystal
ornament was becoming a part in the estab lishments of the wealthy. In the 18th century the thorough combustion (sootless) of oil was becoming effective (Argand, Lange, Quinquet inventions), and we have suspended lamps largely replacing candles in chandeliers. Under Louis XV and Louis XVI were constructed for lay use more chandeliers of great import ance than ever before, the Church having had the very large and elaborate pieces. The fur nishing of civic homes with luxurious decora tion was a new growth, and, by the second half of the 18th century, practically all chandeliers had crystal ornament. Every chandelier by this time had arms or branches; the °console or reclining m was the form prevalent. A. com mon style of crystal decoration consisted of interlacing strings of facetted crystal beads— often so elaborate as to be cumbersome. Ordi nary glass sufficed usually, but rock crystal was favored by the wealthy. The chandelier, in some form, was now common property among all classes of city dwellers, except the very poorest. In chandeliers de luxe we find por celain (Dresden and Sevres) flowers figuring as ornament, and soon the usage of these fictile flowers became so common that porcelain flower-making became a distinct Paris industry. Some chandeliers of the Louis XVI period had their facetted beads made of strass, some of polished steel.
During the early years of the 19th century but one style prevailed in the construction of chandeliers, bronze-gilt frames so swarming with crystal decoration as to make the chan defier body a mere accessory hidden in garlands of crystal beads. Immense, gorgeous construc tions were made for use in the theatres, etc., the most noted being that of the Grand Opera House, Paris, by Gamier. With the introduc tion of hydrogen gas for lighting purpose no great transformations occurred in the forms used for chandelier (often termed gasolier) construction, pipes taking the place of bar metal and gas nipples displacing the old candle pricicet or the later sockets. But, with the comparatively recent invention of illumination by electricity, a wider field has been given for the designer to work in. In America very artistic forms have evolved in the electrolier, some reverting to the classic Greco-Roman lych nus, others showing modern ongniality.
Benesch, Ladislaus Elder v., Beleuchtungswesen von Mittelalter bis zum Mitte des XIX. Jahrhunderts,' etc. (Vi enna 1905) ; d'Allemagne, Henri Rene, 'His- Loire du Luminaire> (Paris 1891) ; Gamier, J. L. C., 'Le nouvel Opera de Paris' (Paris 1875) ; Goertz, H., verschiedenen Beleuchtungs arten in Alterthum, Mittelalter and Neuzeit' (in Metall. Jahrg., Berlin 1914) ; Hessling, E.gon, 'Le luminaire' (New York 1911) ; Houdayer, R, 'L'Eclairage a travers les kicks' (in Science et Art de l'Eclairage, Paris 1913 1914) • Lessing, Julius, (Candelaber, XVI, XVIII. Jahrhundert) (in Kunstgew. Mus. V or bilder-hefte, Berlin 1889) Liier, H., (Kron lichter (in Kunstgew. Mus. Vorbilder-hefte, Berlin 1903) ; Rouveyre, Ed ouard, 'Le Luminaire Transformations progres sives du premier au XIX. siecle) (in Com ment discerner les styles, Paris n. d.).