Thursday, September 20, 2007
Anyone who collects things should have a Schonbek crystal chandelier hanging in the vicinity of the collectibles. This has all sorts of advantages.

First of all the brilliance and historic resonance of the chandelier lends credibility to the value of your collection. There are not that many people who can appreciate the authenticity of your antique Wedgwood or vintage folk toys. But observers will figure you must know what you’re doing when they take in the magnificence of your Schonbek crystal chandelier.

Another important point is that the prismatic light of the chandelier will make your collectibles look a lot better. My mother-in-law collects something she calls “copper lustre,” a rather busy style of handpainted Victorian ceramics. By the light of a crystal chandelier, her vintage pitchers look gorgeous, whereas before they enjoyed prismatic light, they simply looked gaudy.

Collections of antique cut glass vases, goblets, candy dishes and such gain immeasurably by proximity to a crystal chandelier. There’s a crystal theme, and all the crystal surfaces work together to beautiful effect.

Antique dolls acquire a lovely sheen to their complexion, and their dresses look a bit less worn, under the shimmering light of a crystal chandelier.

I collect reading books, that is, books of no particular value simply meant to be read. I have shelves and shelves of them. Even they gain a mildly decorative character in the presence of a crystal chandelier.

Monday, September 17, 2007
For many years I had a living room full of Navajo rugs. It was amazing how beautifully compatible they were with a classic crystal chandelier.

Every rug had a different pattern, though the colors tended to be the same: lots of reds and some browns and grays. A classic crystal chandelier has a certain neutrality because of the transparency of the crystal trim. And then the sharp facets of the crystal refract all the tones in the room and produce quite a display of spectral light.

My Navajo rugs were old and kind of beat up. Not old enough to be antiques but old enough to be mildly disgraceful. And so gradually we replaced them with Persian carpets. We made our choices based purely on attraction, not knowledge, but that’s not always a bad approach. Our budget didn’t permit being too knowledgeable. And we can always count on our Schonbek crystal chandeliers to elevate the level of everything else in a room.

Anyone who possesses handwoven Persian or Oriental carpets is mad not to have crystal chandeliers. The rich red and golds in these carpets are ambrosia to a crystal chandelier. The complexity of the patterns work beautifully with chandelier with an ornate frame and a plethora of classic crystal shapes.

There’s another level of compatibility too. Persian carpets, like crystal chandeliers, have a venerable history. I just got hold of a book on these carpets, hoping to learn more about them.

The newest Persian carpet we acquired has a wealth of tiny abstract flowers and flowering trees in the pattern, and a curious admixture of abstract animal figures. Perhaps my book will tell me what it all means. But even if I never find out, it’s fun to note that some of the puffy little flowers are shaped like the crystal octagon that festoon my chandelier. And there are free-floating multi-colored diamond motifs that make me think of some of the larger crystal pendants. Furthermore, the thick curly quality of the scrollwork of the chandelier is in the same spirit as the chunky complexity of the border of the rug.

It really is a delight to juxtapose two very different ornamental arts, and see how well they play together. A love of embellishment inspires the artist in both cases.