Silvered Metal Chandelier, 8 Arms, Neoclassical Style, by Maison Charles, circa 1940

Distinguished by the cool luminosity of its silvered metal finish, this eight-arm neoclassical chandelier by Maison Charles of circa 1940 represents one of the most accomplished productions of a house synonymous with the finest French decorative metalwork. The eight arms are disposed in the classical manner, radiating outward from a central stem of architectural profile, their candle cups and supporting elements treated with the restraint and precision that characterise Maison Charles’s neoclassical output. The broad horizontal diameter of 82 cm, combined with the relatively shallow height of 57 cm, gives the fixture a disc-like presence that spreads light generously beneath — an intentional quality of the classical chandelier at its most sophisticated.

Maison Charles was established in Paris in 1908 by Albert Charles and developed across three generations of the family into one of the most celebrated houses of French decorative lighting and metalwork. From their Parisian ateliers, the firm produced bronzes and metal objects of extraordinary refinement for the most discriminating international clientele, their output ranging from richly ornamented naturalistic pieces to the more austere, architecturally inflected work of the 1930s and 1940s. The silvered metal finish — employing a process of argenture that achieved a cool, distinctive brilliance quite different from gilding — was favoured by Charles for neoclassical pieces intended to complement interiors of pale stone, white lacquer or marble, associating naturally with the Directoire and proto-Regency aesthetic that dominated elite Parisian decoration during the interwar period. Maison Charles remains active in Paris today, their historical archive constituting one of the most important records of French decorative metalwork in the twentieth century.

This chandelier presents in excellent condition, the silvered finish retaining its characteristic lustrous sheen with only the natural oxidation appropriate to its age. The generous spread of 82 cm in diameter makes this a commanding fixture for a dining room, library or reception room of significant scale, where the eight lights will cast their cool silver-toned radiance with the quiet authority for which Maison Charles is celebrated. A rare opportunity to acquire a documented piece from one of the great names of Parisian decorative metalwork.