Getty Museum

Pair of Girandoles

Date

about 1680–1690

Medium

Gilt bronze with beads and drops of rock crystal, coral, jasper, amethyst, cornelian, agate and other hard stones

Culture

French

Department

Decorative Arts

Institution

Getty Museum

At the court of Louis XIV at Versailles, candelabra (girandoles) were often placed on tall stands to throw the light farther around the room. A Parisian newspaper, the *Mercure Galant*, reported in 1677 about people's astonishment at the amount of light created as the candle flames reflected off the crystal. The small size and opulent decoration of these candelabra suggest that they were intended to be displayed in an intimate, elegant interior.

The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.