Bid to rescue rare 18th Century chandelier from export

129/08
1 December 2008

Culture Minister, Barbara Follett, has placed a temporary export bar on a rare George I giltwood twelve-light chandelier. This will provide a last chance to raise the money to keep this important chandelier in the United Kingdom.

The Minister's ruling follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, administered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. The Committee recommended that the export decision be deferred on the grounds that the chandelier is of outstanding significance for the study of the history of carved and gilt furniture.

The ornate gilded chandelier, made circa 1719, is 124 cm high and just over 100 cm in diameter and incorporates holders for twelve candles. Its manufacture has been attributed to the Royal Cabinet-maker James Moore and it is almost certainly one of two supplied to the 1st Duke of Chandos for the chapel of his palatial house at Cannons, Edgware, Middlesex. Following the collapse of the family fortunes, it was included in the famous sale of the contents of Cannons in 1747, and was probably then acquired for the Chapel of Sir William Turner's Hospital in Kirkleatham, North Yorkshire.

The chandelier demonstrates outstanding virtuosity in wood carving and gilding, skills that flourished in London in the early eighteenth century and still await major study. Giltwood carving was an important art in its own right and allowed scope for larger designs than would have been practical in a heavier material such as bronze. The bold format and sophisticated ornament of this piece afford a variety of reflective surfaces for the candlelight to play over, resulting in a visually stunning display.

Simon Swynfen Jervis, Reviewing Committee member, said: "This chandelier is probably the largest and almost certainly the most magnificent survivor of a very rare type. It has much to tell us about the history of English giltwood lighting with regard to design, to techniques, and to wider significances. And it is a spectacular object."

The decision on the export licence application for the chandelier will be deferred for a period ending on 31 January 2009 inclusive. This period may be extended until 30 April 2009 inclusive if a serious intention to raise funds with a view to making an offer to purchase the chandelier at the recommended price of £337,250 (excluding VAT) is expressed.

Anyone interested in making an offer to purchase the chandelier should contact the owner's agent through:

The Secretary
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, Wellcome Wolfson Building
165 Queen's Gate
South Kensington
London SW7 5HD
Telephone 020 7273 8270

Notes to Editors

Media enquiries on the operation of and casework arising from the work of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA) should be directed to Senior Media Relations Adviser, Sunita Sharma, on 020 7273 8299, email: sunita.sharma@mla.gov.uk
The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by MLA, which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria. Where the Committee finds that an object meets one or more of the criteria, it will normally recommend that the decision on the export licence application should be deferred for a specified period. An offer may then be made from within the United Kingdom at or above the fair market price.
Pictures of this item are available. Please email sunita.sharma@mla.gov.uk (MLA no longer subscribes to the PixMedia website service.)
Further details about the chandelier can be found in the auction catalogue on the Christie's website.

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