Chandelier

The chandelier is a type of suspended candle holder, fixed to the ceiling of a room; its size and structure may differ depending on the room – from small objects, to structurally complex ones made up of a large number of glass or crystal decorative items. Its history starts already in the middle ages (fifth century), when in sacral art and in castles it was used to light large rooms. These were fairly uncomplicated objects, shaped as wooden crosses fixed to the ceiling, with arms, on which the candles would be placed. Cross-form chandeliers were wooden, however, as time passed, objects emerged that were made of wrought iron, shaped as circles, and bronze – with the latter only found at wealthy houses. The round or ring-form chandeliers had arms for the candles fixed to the circumference, and, as time passed, they became richly decorated with crystal pieces. The imperial style ring chandelier, shaped as a pear, of gilded bronze and crystal glass, is most likely a French product from the end of the 19th century; it stems from the collection of the Potoccy family, the former owners of the castle; it is one of four chandeliers decorating the Grand Ball Room. The chandelier (all four) is adapted for electricity, the light bulbs are fixed to the stem formed of a thick brass rod. The central ring, above which there is a decoration of vertical, ground beads, is broad, decorated with gilded bronze, with an ornament of intertwining laurel wreaths separated by rectangular components with floral decorations at six points; these are crowned with ovoid urns, and connected by a leafy garland. Below the main ring, there are farther rings getting smaller towards the bottom, which, along with the crystal fringes that adorn them, provide the entire object with a pear shape. The chalice is finished with a crystal ball fixed to the main stem, ground on many sides. At the top, in turn, the chandelier is closed off by a small (upper ring) with a gilded frame, crowned with gilded leaves as protruding pieces arranged radially. The chandelier is fixed to the ceiling by a strong, large-link chain.