Object of the Day: The Girandole

A Girandole Suite

Before gaslight and well before electric light, the world was elegantly lit by candles. Nighttime activities were planned around candlelight and the properties of these flickering luminaries were understood and respected. Even diamonds were cut so that their facets made the most of candlelight.

In France, in the Eighteenth Century, girandoles were handcrafted from the finest materials. A girandole (from the Italian girandola) is an ornamental, branched candleholder. Crafted of silver, brass or gilt metal, these candleholders were decorated with crystal prisms to aid in reflecting and enhancing the light of the candles. Usually considered the most luxurious candleholders, girandole graced the finest homes. Often used in sets called “garniture” (a large central piece and two flanking pieces), the girandole was both a functional and beautiful home appliance. French ciseleurs crafted some magnificent girandole and the practice spread throughout Europe and later to the United States. Often museum pieces, girandole can still be found in some antique stores. Many have been electrified.

Girandole are sometimes attached to pieces of furniture or mirrors, however, in the strictest sense, a girandole is a metal support on a marble base, decorated with crystals.

The set you see pictured here is displayed in my living room. Crafted by the famed American lighting makers, Cornelius and Company of Philadelphia, this rare girandole suite, “The Dancers” dates circa 1830. Original Cornelius of Philadelphia works are difficult to find, displayed in museums with a set in The White House. I found this particular suite in an antique shop in Jefferson, Texas, while on a day-trip with Bertie and my parents a few years ago. Holding long crystal spikes, “The Dancers” sits on the mantle in front of a large Venetian mirror, filling the room with a beautiful assortment of colors.