Chandelier - Brass - marketed as 'BR'

Very beautiful and exceptionally heavy six-armed chandelier made of cast bronze or high-quality copper alloy, executed in the French Louis XV/Rocaille style.

The chandelier has six sturdy, elegantly curved arms with elaborately sculpted acanthus leaves, volutes and Rocaille ornaments. Particularly richly designed are the central corpus, the ornate middle shaft, and the blossom-shaped nozzles under the six candle sockets. The massive multi-part cast construction and the fine modeling give the chandelier a distinctly high-quality and representative appearance.

The surface is in a very beautiful, authentic preserved condition and shows a pronounced dark brown patina with occasional natural oxidation traces. The bronze was not polished to a high gloss, so the historic character and the grown surface have been preserved.

Of particular interest is the mark inside the chandelier. There is an old mark linked to the casting, which, according to current reading, reads “BR” or possibly “BR 5.” In addition, other digits are discernible, possibly “7343.” Whether this numbering belongs to the original manufacture or was added later as an inventory, workshop, or ownership number has not yet been clarified.

The BR mark is noteworthy because a French bronze chandelier from the 19th century in the Louis XV style is documented in the international art trade, which is also explicitly described as “Signé BR.” However, a secure assignment of both chandeliers to the same workshop is not yet possible.

Also with regard to design and construction, there are French comparable pieces: a six-armed bronze chandelier with Rocaille decor is described in the French antique trade as Louis XV style, Napoléon III, mid-19th century.

Due to the massive bronze construction, the design, ornamentation and the comparison pieces, a creation in the 19th century in the French Louis XV/Rocaille Revival seems possible. A final dating and the identification of the workshop behind the BR mark are still outstanding.

Condition: very good, age-appropriate preserved condition with beautiful historic patina and the usual signs of aging. The six arms and the essential decorative bronze elements are preserved. The existing electrical wiring is older or has been altered over time and should be professionally checked and renewed before operation. This does not affect the historical bronze execution of the chandelier.

6-light · solid metal casting/bronze or copper alloy · Louis XV / Rocaille / Rococo Revival · pronounced old patina · inscribed inside “BR” / possibly “BR 5” · additional numbering “7343” · probably 19th century.