Wall-Lantern
1730-1735 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This unusual object, which is one of a pair, was designed to hold a candle and would be fixed to the wall. Lanterns had glazed sides to prevent the flame from blowing out, and wall lanterns were used in narrow, draughty spaces such as passages and stairs. (In a hall a larger lantern would usually be suspended from the ceiling.) They invariably had a mirrored back, like this one, to reflect more light. This example and its pair are in the emphatically architectural style associated with the architect and designer William Kent (1685-1748), and they may have been designed for one of the great houses built in Britain in the 1730s-40s in the Palladian style.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Wall-lantern, English, 1730-1735, carved mahogany |
| Physical description | Mahogany wall-lantern, one of a pair. The front and two sides of transparent glass, the frame carved with Greek key pattern in low relief. Surmounted by a broken pediment enclosing a scallop shell, supported on a carved console. A candlestick would have been placed inside when light was needed. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Brigadier W. E. Clark CMG, DSO through Art Fund |
| Summary | This unusual object, which is one of a pair, was designed to hold a candle and would be fixed to the wall. Lanterns had glazed sides to prevent the flame from blowing out, and wall lanterns were used in narrow, draughty spaces such as passages and stairs. (In a hall a larger lantern would usually be suspended from the ceiling.) They invariably had a mirrored back, like this one, to reflect more light. This example and its pair are in the emphatically architectural style associated with the architect and designer William Kent (1685-1748), and they may have been designed for one of the great houses built in Britain in the 1730s-40s in the Palladian style. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.63A-1950 |
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| Record created | February 16, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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