Louis XVI Style Cage Chandelier Attributed To L'escalier De Cristal, Circa 1900
Brighton, United Kingdom
£38,950 per item
Shopping at Vinterior
-
14-day return guarantee
-
Outstanding customer service
-
Secure payment
-
Buyer protection
-
Trees planted for every purchase
Item details
Height
113.0 cm
Width
50.0 cm
Depth
50.0 cm
Diameter
50.0 cm
Wear conditions
Good
Wear conditions
Excellent
Shows little to no signs of wear and tear.
Good
May show slight traces of use in keeping with age. Most vintage and antique items fit into this condition.
Average
Likely to show signs of some light scratching and ageing but still remains in a fair condition.
Apparent Wear and Tear
Visible signs of previous use including scratches, chips or stains.
Please refer to condition report, images or make a seller enquiry for additional information.
Description
A fine Louis XVI style gilt-bronze and glass cage chandelier with applied porcelain flowers, attributed to L'Escalier de Cristal.
French, circa 1900.
Fitted internally with eleven light fitments.
This fine chandelier is of cage form with a beaded trellis frame and chains of faceted drops. The gilt-bronze frame embellished all over with white porcelain flowers in the manner of Meissen.
L'Escalier de Cristal (1802-1923) was established by Marie Jeanne Rosalie Désarnaud-Charpentier, the daughter of a goldsmith from Châlons-sur-Marne, when she opened her renowned boutique in the Galerie de Valois of the Palais Royal in 1802. There she specialised in objects of great technical and aesthetic innovation, many composed entirely of crystal and gold plated bronze. What the previous century had done incorporating porcelain into objects and furnishings, Mme Désarnaud-Charpentier did with crystal in the nineteenth. Sadly very few of these crystal furnishings survive with us today.
Mme Désarnaud-Charpentier's fame was secured by the success of her innovative suite of furniture at the 1819 exhibition of the Produits de l'industrie, where she was awarded a gold medal. This toilette suite was purchased following the exhibition by one of Escalier de Cristal's most famous patrons, the Duchess de Berry, Louis XVIII's niece, and was subsequently installed in her country residence, the Château de Rosny-sur-Seine.
This exhibition, followed on from her success at the Paris 1801 exhibition. The competitive character of the exhibitions led many manufactories and maisons de luxe to create objects of increasing daring and originality; despite this for the judges and visitors the technical innovation of Escalier de Cristal's creations would have been a revelation.
In 1840, Pierre-Isidore Lahoche acquired L'Escalier de Cristal; joined later by his cousin Emile-Augustin Pannier, the company would become in 1867 Lahoche, Pannier et Cie. At the end of 1872, Pierre-Isidore Lahoche retired from business leaving his son-in-law in charge of the company. The boutique moved to the centre of Paris, at the corner of rues Auber and Scribe, a few steps away from Opera Garnier.
By 1885 the company was known simply as Pannier et cie, managed by Georges and Henri Pannier, sons of Emile. Henri Pannier was the art director whereas Georges took care of the finances. In the last decades of the 19th century the company widened its repertoire to include exceptional furniture in Louis XV and Louis XVI revival styles and ground breaking works by designer-ornamentists such as Edouard Lièvre. In the tradition of the 17th and 18th century marchand-merciers, they would collaborate with the finest bronziers, ebenistes, lacquers and painters of the day creating objects of unparalleled luxury and embracing sophisticated modernist styles such as extreme oriental and japonisant.
The company won multiple awards and medals at national and international exhibitions, including bronze medals at the Universal Exhibitions in London in 1862, and in Paris in 1867 and 1878. They were awarded a gold medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle.
The firm will finally closed in 1923.
The large number of objects that remain today in the possession of European Royal households, that were made by Escalier de Cristal, attests to the success and reputation the company achieved. Pieces also remain in the collections of the Louvre and Musée D'Orsay.
Bibliography:
De Commines, Laurent & Gizard, Eric. Un Âge D'or Des Arts Décoratifs 1814-1848, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, (Paris), 1991.
Condition report:
Good
Cancellations
We offer free cancellations and full refund for orders cancelled before dispatching. View full policy.
Returns
We have a 14-day return guarantee for orders from individual sellers, within the UK and European Union. View full policy.
Free collection available
Yes
Similar Chandeliers
Similar Chandeliers
More from this seller
More from this seller
Choose a Wishlist
Create Wishlist
- Ships from Brighton, United Kingdom
Cancellations and Returns
Last updated: 24th March 2025
We want everybody’s Vinterior experience to be seamless, so both buyers and sellers can fall in love with pre-loved. We designed our Terms of sale to treat everybody fairly.
However, sometimes things don’t go exactly to plan, and you may need to cancel or return an order.
To prevent this, we encourage you to check listings, photos and descriptions carefully before you buy. If you aren’t sure about a piece’s condition, size, provenance or shipping, just ask; click Contact seller to get in touch. Always contact your seller first if you have any queries, at any point in your purchase.
Our buyers receive the same protection when buying from all our sellers, both professional and verified.
Can I cancel an order?
There are many reasons why you might need to cancel an order, and you'll often be entitled to a refund. To cancel an order, click Create cancellation on the order page.
If you cancel your order before it has been dispatched, you will receive a full refund - including delivery costs. However, if your item has been shipped, delivery costs will not be included in your refund.
Please note: orders of bespoke, personalised or made-to-order pieces cannot be cancelled.
Can I return an order?
We understand that sometimes a piece isn’t the perfect fit. So if you no longer want your order, our returns process will ensure it finds a new home fast.
The Vinterior Guarantee included with your purchase entitles you to 14-day returns - allowing you to return any item within 14 days of the delivery date (except in specific circumstances, detailed below).
You can return your order if...
It isn't what you expected
If what arrives isn’t what you ordered, you can open a return. Just send us some photo evidence that the listing was inaccurate, misleading or misrepresented your purchased piece, and you’ll receive a refund.
You change your mind
If you don’t feel a piece is right for your space, you can return it. Once you request a change of mind return, you’ll be responsible for shipping the piece back to your seller as soon as possible. Delivery costs are non-refundable.
It's damaged in transit
In the rare event that an item arrives damaged or defective, you have a full 30 days from the date of delivery to return it for a full refund.
If your purchase arrives broken, always let us know. If Proovia delivered the piece, we can raise an insurance claim on the seller’s behalf. Or, the seller can raise a claim with their chosen courier.
What can't I return?
Just as there are some orders you can’t cancel, there are some you cant return, too. Personalised, bespoke or made-to-order pieces are non-returnable, and non-refundable. Sellers may also reject your return if the item has been altered in any way.
Please note: pieces on our site are pre-loved, not new. They may show some wear and tear; this is not sufficient grounds for a refund, unless the seller has misrepresented the item’s condition.
Lastly, neither Vinterior nor our sellers are liable for any damages or loss sustained in transit via third parties.
I'm eligible for a return. Now what?
To initiate a return, log into your Vinterior account, then go to the relevant order page and click Create a return. In the return request, be sure to include all the details: the reason for your return, an in-depth description, and photos of any issues or damage.
How will I receive my refund?
Once the seller confirms they’ve received the item (in the same condition it was sent), we will send your refund to your original payment method.
All items are inspected on return. If the seller receives the return with damage they don’t recognise, we will not be able to process your refund and the seller may need to send the piece back to you. You will be required to cover these delivery costs.
