How do you clean old brass sconces?

Leave the heavy tarnish alone. The dark patina on the recesses gives the casting its depth and shows its age. Just dust them with a soft brush. If you must clean the highlights, use a mild microcrystalline wax on a soft cloth rather than harsh liquid polish.

Can they be wired for electricity?

Most of them already are. Electricians have been adapting them since the 1920s. The wiring usually runs up the back. Restorers often use silk-braided flex to blend in.

My dining room has fairly low ceilings and I was wondering if large multi-arm wall lights would look too heavy or stick out too far from the wall?

Wall lights actually help in rooms with low ceilings. They draw the eye outward rather than upward. Two-arm antique sconces tend to sit closer to the plaster. The branches usually sweep sideways rather than projecting straight out into the space. Check the projection measurement before buying. Anything under a foot usually clears the sightline of someone walking past a dining table.

When people talk about girandoles are they just talking about ordinary wall sconces or is there a specific difference in how they were made or used?

The terms get mixed up frequently. A girandole specifically refers to an elaborately cast branched wall light, often featuring a mirrored backplate. They appear in the mid-eighteenth century. The mirror is the key defining feature, designed to increase the light output for evening entertaining.

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Antique Sconces from the 19th Century

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Wall-mounted light fixtures with a backplate and projecting arms, designed originally to hold candles before the advent of gas and electric lighting. They throw light outwards into a room while keeping flames safely away from the woodwork.