| Never before in the long history of the chandelier | | | | the festoons and bags drops, glass arms, full |
| has there been such choice as there is today. You | | | | panoply of other elements, the French chandelier |
| can buy over the internet or in person. You can | | | | is distinctively never heavy or crowded and |
| scour the brocante stalls in French markets or the | | | | always alluring. |
| junk shops in England or America. | | | | Perhaps the best known and longest established |
| When you hang a French chandelier in your home | | | | chandelier maker in France is the firm of |
| you acquire something beautiful and practical and | | | | Baccarat, which continues to thrive today. |
| an object that will become a focus for the room. | | | | Chandeliers come in all shapes and sizes - some |
| Other decorations will revolve around it. It will | | | | more unusual than others. Amongst some of the |
| become a talking point, the centrepiece. A | | | | most eccentric charming chandeliers are those |
| fireplace draws attention to a lower level in a | | | | designed to represent hot-air balloons. The early |
| room; whereas a chandelier is the highest point of | | | | nineteenth century saw a wave of enthusiasm |
| a room's decoration. | | | | for hot-air balloons, prompted by the first balloon |
| The type of chandelier which is associated with | | | | flight by the Montgolfier brothers, Michel and |
| French work is more open with its main structural | | | | Joseph travelling through the air for some six |
| support supplied not by chains or a stem but | | | | miles in 1783. Some Montgolfier chandeliers are |
| rather by a cage or frame with prettily curved | | | | French others Italian. |
| arms, often gilded and with candles or drops in | | | | One of the things you need to be absolutely sure |
| the centre space. Like English chandeliers, they | | | | of is that your chandelier is safe; that when it is |
| have pendants and chains of drops. | | | | installed it will stay up, it won't shed pieces on |
| The difference is that instead of being massed | | | | your head and it won't electrocute anyone or |
| together, they are however spaced further apart | | | | burn the house down. |
| so that they can be seen individually. The effect is | | | | If you bought you chandelier from a brocante or |
| extremely delicate and ornate without being | | | | a market you should use common sense about |
| elaborate. | | | | its wiring. Any chandelier is only as good as safe |
| The ironwork on French chandeliers by the 1900s | | | | electrically speaking as the circuit of which it is |
| was superbly refined and attractive. The stem | | | | part. Have it tested by an electrician and rewired |
| might have leaves and stalks curling off it | | | | if in doubt. |
| supporting crystal drops, beads and flowers. For all | | | | |