Avignon Chandelier and Sconce

Joe and I had been travelling in rural France and Italy and had become fascinated by this curly-armed shape from the 17th century.  We had seen it made of much heavier metal stock and often hidden behind a thick gesso and gold-leaf finish further smothered with crystal ribbons.  Joe could see through all the extraneous decoration and liked the basic silhouette. Our homage to this classic is designed in a more delicate, flat metal stock.  To accentuate the basic shape, he swagged it with a hint of beading.  The fixture is all made by hand, with cut steel elements, beads on “aged” brass wire, finished to a deep patina, wired to UL, and capped with waxed candle covers.

The twelve arm chandelier         The eighteen arm chandelier        The three arm sconce
All these versions are shown here in our rusty steel finish.
(The red frame means it’s on Quick Ship)

As with all our fixtures, almost any of our metal finishes can be applied to any piece. When in doubt, just call to ask.

By hand, we apply our finishes layer upon layer before beading.  Most of our fixtures are done with glass beads, but we do use rock crystal as accents. For custom jobs we have even used amber, amethysts, and emeralds.  The responsibility of inventorying such precious beads always makes me tense.

This client needed a shorter, squatter version of the Avignon. She specified a 30″ diameter fixture finished fancily in Pavilion goldleaf finish with regular glass beads accentuated by custom rock crystals.

Our 18-arm Avignon started out as a custom order.  After several requests, we now make it as
One of our standard sizes.  The original was in a custom goldleaf finish and looked very grand.

A long-time client in Bermuda asked us to make this chandelier,60 dia x 54″ h with 20 lights and in a silverleaf finish.  We wired it to British UL standards for a damp location.  It will end up on a covered porch in Bermuda.

In 2008 the showhouse in Los Angeles’s Greystone Mansion included a room by Niermann Weeks.  Our Avignon illuminated the Quatrefoil armoire, Poiret Chairs, Venetian Secretary, La Falaise Chair, Chinoiserie Fret Coffee Table, Hadrian Planters, St. Cloud Dining Table, Avignon Sconces, and Bel Air Planter.  This room wonderfully showcased the versatility of our designs.

Copyright 2009 Niermann Weeks Company. All rights reserved.

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