PLATTSBURGH, NY - Schonbek introduced a collection of crystal candelabra in response to what President and CEO Andrew Schonbek calls "the candle craze."
"We had to do something about it," said Schonbek. "Everywhere people are flocking to candle stores, driven by an impulse to revive the art of living and loving by candlelight. But twenty-first-century society has no idea how magnificent candlelight once was. We felt we owed it to designers and homeowners to show them the way kings and collectors in past centuries indulged in candlelight."
Candelabra can be traced back to ancient Rome, when they were richly embellished floor lamps. They fell out of fashion in the Middle Ages, to reappear in the Renaissance. According to Schonbek, "The seventeenth-century French Sun King, Louis XIV, whose coats, wigs and palaces were more elaborate than any other monarch's in any age, of course had remarkable crystal candelabra."
Schonbek is best known for its crystal chandeliers. Andrew Schonbek stated that "We bring a special degree of authenticity to candlelight, because our company dates back to the era of the candle." Schonbek was founded in l870 in Bohemia.
The styles of Schonbek candelabra mirror the styles of selected Schonbek crystal chandeliers, and homeowners can even match the frame finish of a candelabra to that of its companion chandelier.
"We have not designed our candelabra for the timid or the faint of heart," said Schonbek. "We are encouraging people to indulge in a crystal theme here by combining matching crystal chandeliers and crystal candelabra. The effect is going to be intensely brilliant and luxurious. You have to be prepared for family, friends and neighbors to ooh and ah."
Schonbek candelabra and candlesticks range in size from a modest 8 inches high to an imposing 33 inches tall. Schonbek observed that "Architects are designing homes on a palatial scale these days. Our oversized candelabra are especially fitting for great rooms and master bedrooms of regal proportions."
The collection also includes electrified candelabra, for those who can't quite wean themselves from the convenience of electricity.
See crystal candelabra
