French Tole Chandelier
(Object ID: 35.2.139)
Project Duration: 31 Hours
Date: 1840-1850
Dimensions: Height: 17in Diameter: 30in
Materials: Brass, Wire, Glass, Porcelain, copper
Object Description: Tole chandeliers were made in both France and Italy from the 1850s all the way until the 1960s. Styles varied, but the gilding and ceramic flowers were often a quintessential part of the pieces.
Condition:
The object is generally structurally sound. The main frame of the chandelier is composed of gilded brass, which appears to have moderately oxidised throughout. Six candle holders are present (the chandelier was previously electrified, but this was later undone. Remnants of interior cords remain), with evidence of both cord remnants and wax inside each holder. Small sections of electrical cord remain coiled at the top of the chandelier as well.
Thick copper wire has been wound around the frame to resemble vines with hundreds of individual copper leaves. Their surfaces have been painted a deep green. Five leaves and one stem have broken off. 125 hand painted ceramic flowers have been individually attached to the chandelier using a form of putty. With time, this putty has selectively begun to fail, with a total of 8 flowers that have completely detached from their copper wire stems. An additional 15 flowers are loose and need to also be properly reattached. Two sections of stems/flowers are removable from the main frame.
Treatment:
All copper vines, stems, and leaves were cleaned with Orvus (2% in distilled water) using cotton swabs. The removable potions of the chandelier were taken off of the frame and cleaned individually. The main frame of the chandelier and each ceramic flower was cleaned using a Reliable Brand steam cleaner (containing distilled water).
All detached and loose flowers were re-adhered onto their original locations using Huntsman Araldite 2 part transparent epoxy (2020/A :2020/B - 100g : 30g) The five detached leaves and 1 detached stem were reconnected to the vines using an electric solder iron with silver solder. Solder marks were patinized with a copper finish and also in-painted using dark green Liquitex acrylic paints. Any gilded brass was steam cleaned and then cleaned with VpCl-413. The surfaces were then cleaned with distilled water to remove any remaining residues.
