“Etruscan style” porcelain chandelier

Period : Italy, end of 18th century.

Material : porcelain and ormolu.

Dimensions : 35 ½ in. high (90 cm.) ; 10 ¾ in. diameter (27,5 cm.).

Origin : private collection.

Bibliography : S. E. Lawrence (publisher), Piranesi as designer, cat. exhib. (New York, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, Sept. 14, 2007 – Jan 20,. 2008), New York, Smithsonian Institution, 2007.

Description

This small four-light chandelier, shaped as a black porcelain dish, is adorned with a frieze of red foliage, and four miniatures depicting an antique Greek helmet, a lyre, an athénienne and a spear topped with a crown of laurels.