Art Institute of Chicago

Chandelier

Attributed to Colebron Hancock (active England, mid-1700s)

Date

c. 1750

Medium

Lead glass, iron, and brass

Culture

England

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Made in England around 1760, this is a rare and relatively early example of a facet-cut lead-glass chandelier. Lead glass, also called lead "crystal," had been developed in the late 1680s and was prized for its heft, brightness, and clarity—qualities that made it strikingly similar to precious rock crystal, or colorless diamonds. Of particular importance was the ability of lead glass to be cut without shattering. Cut decoration on English glass first appeared in the 1720s, and chandeliers made of facet-cut lead glass became fashionable around the middle of the eighteenth century. Glass chandeliers were not only among the most expensive furnishings of an elite interior—they were also quite expensive to light. The cost of candles for an evening could be equal to several weeks' wages for a glassworker.

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