Chandelier

Object Type
This gilded wooden chandelier consists of eight branches supported on a fluted globular stem and surmounted by a flaming finial. The branches are carved with overlapping fish scales and acanthus foliage. They are supported by acanthus brackets divided alternately by flower heads and shells. The pendant is in the form of an acanthus seed pod.

People
William Kent worked as an architect, decorative painter and designer of a wide range of luxury furnishings. Following the example of the Huguenot designer Daniel Marot (1661-1752), Kent saw each element of the interior as part of an integrated whole. He produced designs for silver as well as furniture, and his designs for chandeliers could be made in metal or in wood. Silver chandeliers made to Kent's design can be seen at Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire.

Place
The chandelier was bought by the V&A from the Hamilton Palace sale in 1882. It may have been commissioned by James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton (1702-1743). Hamilton Palace, Lanarkshire, had been built by the Scottish architect James Smith in the 1690s. The White and Gold Rooms were redecorated in the 1730s and this chandelier may have been made for one of these rooms.