Large Silvered Metal Cage Chandelier - Murano glassware

Magnificent and large chandelier called "Cage", its frame is made of silver plated metal and its pendants in the shape of fruits (pears and grapes), flowers and pearls are made of coloured glass, mouth blown from Murano. 
Its collar, which forms a magnificent crown of flowers in silver plated metal inlaid with coloured pearls forming the petals, magnifies this elegant and sober structure decorated with necklaces of glass pearls, foliage and garlands of fruit in abundance.

It has sixteen arms of lights skilfully arranged in double circumferences which will allow the luminosity of the bulbs to sublimate all the Murano decorations and to provide a lighting worthy of the great chandeliers which adorn the most beautiful Venetian palaces.
 
Period : End of XIXth century
Dimensions : Height :115cm x Width :73cm

A "cage chandelier" is a chandelier without a central shaft, whose structure is therefore more or less oval. This type of chandelier is the most common in Europe. 
It appeared in the 17th century and experienced a great expansion in the 18th century.

Under Louis XV, chandeliers were adorned with crystal pendants and prisms, and their size increased. These baroque chandeliers were then the height of European aristocracy and were later declined in different styles: chandelier in the rocaille style, Louis XVI, with rock crystal pendants, Marie-Antoinette.

This object of lighting and decoration became more and more accessible afterwards.

In the 19th century, candles were replaced by gas lighting. It was no longer necessary to take down the chandeliers to light them.

And at the end of the 19th century, with the advent of electricity, the chandeliers were adorned with bulbs whose sockets were hidden in false candles to remain true to the spirit of the chandelier.

The subsequent widespread use of electricity allowed the middle class to enjoy this luxurious decorative and lighting object.