Chandelier, 1900–1914, Trakai History Museum, GEK-4830. Photo by Andrius Valužis, 2017 Fragment of chandelier, 1900–1914, Trakai History Museum, GEK-4830. Photo by Andrius Valužis, 2017 Fragment of chandelier, 1900–1914, Trakai History Museum, GEK-4830. Photo by Andrius Valužis, 2017 Fragment of chandelier, 1900–1914, Trakai History Museum, GEK-4830. Photo by Andrius Valužis, 2017

Trakai History Museum

Inv. No. GEK-4830

Address: Kęstučio str. 4, Trakai

Time of origin: 1900–1914

Place of origin: Germany (?)

Material, Technique: metal: casting, cizeling, repoussé; paints of bronze powder

Dimensions: height – 105 cm, diameter – 40 cm

At the turn of the 19th–20th century, grace and decorative art nouveau style predominated. The style was called differently in separate countries: Jugendstil in Germany, secession in Austria, modern in Spain and stile liberty in Italy. In the works of Paris, Barcelona or Brussels creators, the style is evidenced by floral ornament curved in highly flexible long lines with exotic figures of birds, insects and graceful females. A more constructive and rational form of art nouveau style prevailed in Germany and Austria. In the hanging lighting means, it manifested in harsh straight lines, wide embossed metal strips and minimal geometric décor.

The chandelier preserved in the Trakai History Museum also belongs to the constructive art nouveau style. The long straight metal tubes form a graceful vertical silhouette of the chandelier. Small beads in the middle of each rod provide playfulness to the chandelier. This element was probably used for the first time in the chandeliers designed by the well-known Austrian artist Koloman Moser in 1900–1902.

Small palmettes decorate a dish of the chandelier. In its centre, there are three sockets for light bulbs and fasteners for the former glass hood. Three arms coming down from the dish terminate with bell-shaped sockets for electric bulbs. Like other chandeliers of that time, the downwardly falling arms were without caps.

A small number of art nouveau-style chandeliers have remained in Lithuania, and most of them are preserved in the M.K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.

This is a valuable example of constructive art nouveau style chandelier from a residential or administrative building.

Literature and sources:
  1. Fiell Charlotte & Peter, 1000 lights: 1878 to present, Cologne: Taschen, 2005, p. 84.
  2. Sietyno (GEK-4830) pasas, Trakų istorijos muziejus, 1988.