In the rich history of light fixtures, chandeliers from the 16th to the first half of the 20th century that survived in Lithuania occupy an important place. The aim of the virtual catalogue project “Heritage of Chandeliers in Lithuania” (www.sietynupaveldas.lt) is to share them with others. Starting in 2017, two stages of the project were launched. Chandeliers from the Vilnius district and a large part from the Kaunas district were published. At the moment, the catalogue features around 40 percent of chandeliers from the 16th to the first half of the 20th century that survived in Lithuania.
Due to the turbulent history of the Lithuanian state, only a small portion of chandeliers still exist. Many of them are no longer found in their original environments. Chandeliers of high artistic value from the interiors of sacral and secular buildings, as well as chandeliers held in different Lithuanian museums, are analysed in the virtual catalogue. Chandeliers that had extraordinary artistic and historical value, but considerably deteriorated or did not survive, and have been recorded in visual material, are presented separately. It is important to add that many chandeliers that decorated or still decorate Lithuanian buildings were brought from other European countries. Local attribution can be given only to a small part of these artefacts.
The idea of the project and each entry of the database belong to the art historian PhD Alantė Valtaitė-Gagač. It is important to add that the project is fully financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. However, a strong inspiration to start the virtual catalogue was obtained through the activity of the Light and Glass Society, which helped Ms. Valtaite-Gagac to realize the importance, interest and research needed on the heritage of European chandeliers.
Please get acquainted: www.sietynupaveldas.lt
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
This project led by Dr. Alanté Valtaite Gagac is exactly the kind of project we must promote in each country. Only knowledge and description of our still existing historic objects can save them for our coming generations.
Dr. Käthe Klappenbach started the inventory of chandeliers in Prussia-Brandenburg, The Vienna Museum of Applied Arts has started a working group “Bestandsaufnahme Luster in Österreich”.
Examples like this in Lithuania will save this often neglected part of our European Glass history.
We need research, lectures, books, but mainly clear descriptions of objects in a room and in the guide catalogue!
April 6th, 2021
Nice.
Do you have information about styles of Chandeliers?
September 3rd, 2022
This is something we would like to add to the website and is in the works. In the meantime, please refer to our list of literature and weblinks for more information. Thank-you, Christina Perrin, Secretary Light and Glass
September 3rd, 2022
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