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An Important Thirty Light Glass Chandelier (c. 1870 Spain)

92.00inch high 64.00inch wide (233.68 cm high  162.56 cm wide)

Condition report on request.

An important thirty light cut and moulded glass chandelier, the main receiver plate supporting twenty four slip over candle arms arranged on two tiers, these with drop hung drip pans, the down arms separated by twisted crooks. Below the receiver bowl there is a drop hung canopy and baluster shaped finial, the main baluster shaped shaft supporting gilt glass receiver bowls from which there are double kick arms with drop hung drip pans and finials separated by shepherd’s crooks, the next tier with six slip over candle arms and drop hung pans separated by twisted down crooks and double kick shepherd’s crooks, the chandelier terminating with another gilt glass bowl and shepherd’s crooks, the entire piece hung with eight sided half back spangles and finely cut flake drops.

La Real Fabrica de la Granja La Real Fabrica de la Granja, founded on Crown land at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso in the region of Segovia near Madrid, was granted its first royal license in 1727. In 1736 it was then put under royal protection due to the need for glass in various palaces that were being constructed, but it was King Felipe IV who, inspired by the royal factories founded by his grandfather King Louis XIV of France, decided to increase the range and quality of production. He travelled to France in 1745 in search of master glass makers to bring back to Spain to launch new projects at the foundry. These artisans brought a French influence to the style of pieces being produced, which had previously been influenced almost exclusively by Venetian glass. In the last quarter of the 18th century, the emphasis shifted to a more English style. English and Irish glass makers had proven themselves to be superior and through the Principe de Asturias, later to be Carlos IV, and indeed the Duque de Ferman Nunez, ambassador to London, the workers at La Granja began to adopt a more English style. Joshua Ketilby was known to have visited the factory at this time to advise on the composition of crystal glass and stayed for four years, although the Spanish masters claimed that he taught them “nothing new”. Amongst the wide and varied production at La Granja, that of chandeliers was considered amongst the most important. Examples of other types of glasswork from La Real Fabrica de la Granja can be found at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, The Royal Palace, Madrid, the Prado, Madrid and the Hermitage, Moscow. Bibliography Paloma Pastor Rey de Vinas, Andres Velasco Pilar, Las Aranas de la Granja: procesos de deterio y metodos de intervencion, Jornadas Nacionales sobre Restauracion y Conservacion de Vidrios, pp. 199-204 shows an analysis of the chandelier at the Cathedral of Burgo de Osma, which is of similar scale and style to this one.