Pair Of French Girandoles In Cut Crystal And Gilt Bronze, Signed F. Barbedienne, Paris – France

Superb pair of three-light French girandoles in finely cut crystal and mercury-gilded bronze, signed F. Barbedienne – Paris, one of the foremost bronziers of 19th-century France. The central stem rises in a well-balanced architectural structure, adorned with crystal elements carved in diamond-point, fluted, and lozenge patterns, and crowned by a flame-shaped finial.
The curving scrollwork arms support crystal bobeches and are festooned with cascading prisms and rosettes, reflecting and refracting the light with striking brilliance. The square base, supported by four feet, is richly decorated with classical medallions, acanthus leaves, laurel garlands, ribbons, and floral festoons—all meticulously chiseled and fire-gilded.
Created in the celebrated Parisian workshop of Ferdinand Barbedienne, these girandoles embody the opulence and precision of French neoclassical design, blending Louis XVI inspiration with the lavish elegance of the Second Empire.