Six Arm Chandelier

Dateca.1790-1820

MediumTinned sheet iron, solder and paint.

DimensionsHeight: 26 1/2"
Width: 23 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1960-183

DescriptionTinplate chandelier with six wire-edged arms, curving upward and outward, each connected to the main hub by a strut. Crimped pans support open-sided candle sockets with folded lips. Its slender, tapering hub is conical, made from two sheets of tinplate and is topped by a large suspension ring. The hub's bottom end is capped with a squat cone, and there are traces of gold paint in some areas.Label TextNo metal was as inexpensive, easily worked and versatile as tinned sheet iron. Anything practical that could be made out of the material was, and American tinsmiths excelled at generating some pretty fanciful, yet fully functional pieces like this chandelier. With its graceful, curving arms, crimped pans and perfect symmetry, this piece is as beautiful as it is simple.

Few homes were illuminated by chandeliers during the period, since they consumed many candles and would have generated more light than was usually needed. It is believed that such devices were most commonly used in larger more public spaces like churches, meeting rooms and taverns.