Ceiling light; 50-60 years.

Ceiling lamp; 1950s-60s.
Murano glass.
Measurements: 150 x 100 cm (diameter).
Ceiling chandelier made of Murano glass. The piece has a vertical axis as the base of the composition (which joins it to the ceiling), the curved arms and turned profile (which end in "cups" reminiscent of the shapes that used to be found in this type of lamp when candles were still used), as well as certain elements also made of transparent glass and with a certain classicist reminiscence (symmetry, slight relief, harmony, etc.). This ensemble, already very elaborate in itself, has been further enhanced by bead chains of different shapes: the smallest, with a polygonal base and faceted; much larger ones with a teardrop shape and cut-out profiles combining curved areas with flat ones and peaks; others with a rectangular shape and a triangular or polygonal base; and one, not too large and almost unnoticed, with an almost totally spherical shape, also faceted. All these facets in the beads and lines combined in the rest of the elements were common in this type of lamp, and were designed to highlight the oscillating candlelight and multiply the brightness of the lamp, making it even more eye-catching.
This type of interior lighting was reserved for the main representative or public rooms of important palaces, due to their high price and their striking appearance. Quality metals were used (mainly bronze, often gilded), selected glass, etc., and the design was usually based on examples made by the main factories of the time. In this case we are dealing with Murano glass, the manufacture of which dates back to the 8th century. By the 12th century Venice had become extremely popular for its fine glass. To keep the glassmaking business unique and profitable, a law was passed in 1271 stating that no foreign glass could be imported for manufacture and no foreign glass workers could be employed. However, in the 13th century all glassmaking furnaces were moved by law from Venice to Murano, because the fires in them posed a great risk to the wooden structures of Venice. In combination, these two laws ensure that Murano glass is still unique today; created by artists and craftsmen from a small group of islands in Italy. The secrets of glass making have been passed down from father to son and from master to apprentice.