18th Century Candle Chandeliers

Materials

• 18th-century candle chandeliers ranged from highly ornate to downright primitive. When the New Orleans Museum of Art staged a "Let There be Light" exhibit in 2004, the period antiques on display from this era were cast of bronze, brass, wrought iron, tin, silver and gold. The most ornate were trimmed with rock crystals and glass drops that reflected light in so many directions that the room's illumination doubled. On the other end of the design continuum, 18th-century candle chandeliers hung by impoverished folks and made of scrap metal were literally and figuratively bare-bones designs. All-crystal and cut glass candle chandeliers didn't appear on the scene until late in the century.

Branches

• At first blush, you may think that 18th-century candle chandelier branches were added at the whim of the creator, but in fact, the number of branches added to candle chandeliers had everything to do with social status. Passersby could look into a pre-Victorian home if the drapes were open and note that, for example, 24 branches cast candlelight over rooms, a sure sign of a wealthy household. Multi-storied homes with endless numbers of rooms, each of which sported its own multi-branch candle chandelier, symbolized the crème de la crème of society.

Candles

• Leftovers from the 17th century, rush lights (made from cheap and woefully inefficient pig's wax) were used almost exclusively by impoverished homeowners in their chandeliers as the 18th century dawned. Benefits of using rush light candles surpassed material availability: They were exempt from the 1709 Tallow Candle Tax Law that taxed candles made from sheep's and cow's tallow. Candles were molded so either end could be lit at the same time, which lead to the design of chandeliers manufactured to clasp candles in the middle, ergo the "Burning the candle at both ends" figure of speech that remains today. Beeswax, the most expensive candle material, was reserved for royalty, the ultra-wealthy and the church.

Hardware

• Regardless of the material used to craft a candle chandelier in the 18th century, metalworkers put an equal amount of time, effort and design into making the hardware necessary to embellish and secure them. Iron chains and iron hooks were the most often-employed hanging hardware. Silver soldering remained a popular way to fuse branches, candle cups and decorative fittings. Since the most magnificent designs of this period weighed hundreds of pounds, ceiling trays, plates and decorative fittings were critical engineering features. After all, chandeliers had to survive repeated lowering and hoisting action each time fresh candles were added.