Girandole
A girandole (/ˈdʒɪrəndəʊl/) is an ornamental branched candle holder consisting of several lights that may be on a stand or mounted on the wall, either by itself or attached to a mirror.
[3][5] A form of girandole backed with a round convex mirror was also popular in the United States in the early 19th century.
[7] It comes from the French girandole, which is in turn derived from the Italian girandola, meaning a kind of horizontal Catherine wheel firework.
[12] In the mid-18th century in England, it referred to a large gilded decorative sconce, or a wall light backed with a mirror.
[citation needed] A form of girandole with a chandelier in front of a mirror was created in Ireland in the late 18th century.
These may be made from tissue paper cut, wrapped or manipulated into flowers or garland, and as festoons stretched starwise at the ceiling.
[13] A popular form of girandole earrings consists of 3 pendant drops hanging from a larger cluster in the shape of a bow or other designs, like the branches of a candelabra.
[23] The early French girandoles have a base, a central stem and a plate that usually holds six arms with drip pans and bobèche for the candles.
They were often decorated with rock crystals and glass – these may be strung together as beads, or hung as pendants or rosettes in a pyramidal or cone-shape arrangement, adding sparkles to the candleholder by reflecting the candlelight.
[28] Thomas Chippendale produced girandoles, with and without mirrors, of asymmetric designs in rococo, chinoiserie or Gothic styles.
These consist of scrolls and shells incorporating various motifs such as architectural ruins, Chinese figures and pagodas, columns, foliage, waterfalls, and birds.
