A 2026 Guide by Sellingantiques
Outstanding Pair Large Gilt Girondoles, 1880
Priced at £2,950 from Fernyhough Antiques Ltd
Antique girandoles first appeared in late seventeenth-century France and Italy before spreading across Europe.
They provided essential illumination in formal spaces long before gas or electric lighting existed.
Wealthy households hung them in pairs or sets along pier walls to maximise the reflection of scarce candlelight.
Look at the English Rococo period for some of the most elaborate asymmetrical designs.
Changing fashions eventually pushed these out of favour by the early nineteenth century as simpler neoclassical lighting took over.
English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale published designs for these during the mid-eighteenth century.
Notice the wild asymmetry on some frames. London carver Thomas Johnson supplied many of these highly naturalistic forms in the 1750s.
Unsigned examples dominate the market, leaving specialists to group them by regional stylistic quirks rather than known workshops.
Florentine Pair of Giltwood Antique Girandoles, 1920
Priced at £1,395 from O'Keeffe Antiques
The 2026 retail price guide for Antique Girandoles is drawn from a proprietary archive of over 1.1 million retail prices indexed by Sellingantiques since 2003. This guide relies exclusively on their own internal data; no external sources or auction records are used.
Analysing nearly 25 years of UK antique market history alongside current retail values, the data indicates that typical UK retail prices for Antique Girandoles range between £600 and £3,700. Entry-level prices generally fall under £600 and premium examples upwards of £3,700.
Mirrored backplates define the form. They bounce candlelight back into the centre of a dark room.
Look for projecting arms at the base of the frame, usually fitted with sockets and drip pans.
Elaborate crestings often dominate the top edge with carved foliage or ho-ho birds.
Multiple layers of liquid gesso. Craftsmen brushed this over the raw carved wood to create a smooth base for gold leaf.
Recutting sharpened the design. Artisans carved fine details directly into the dried chalky ground to crisp up the edges.
Agate stones polished the high points of the water gilding, creating a deliberate contrast against the matte recesses.
"Hidden metal tubes sometimes run through the carved branches, added later to safely hold early electrical wiring."
"A pair of these flanking a fireplace multiplied the light output enough to read by during dark winter months."
"Makers often sealed the back of the glass with protective layers to shield the delicate mercury silvering from damp walls."
Based on almost 25 years of Sellingantiques UK antique market data, Antique Girandoles appeared 558 times (out of 1,100,000 antiques) which gives it a rarity score of 89/100.
This score measures scarcity within the Sellingantiques archive only and is not a survey of the entire antiques market, so these statistics may not be indicative of the general availability of Antique Girandoles elsewhere.
Keep liquids away from the frame. If window cleaner drips onto the water gilding, it will wash the gold leaf right off.
Spray a tiny amount of glass cleaner onto a cloth first, rather than directly onto the mirror. Wipe the glass gently, staying clear of the edges where moisture can seep behind and damage the silvering.
You can get replacements made. Specialist carvers handle this type of restoration often, using the surviving arm as a template.
They carve the new piece from a matching softwood and peg it into the original joint. After gessoing and gilding, they distress the new gold leaf slightly so it blends with the older surface.
Yes, provided the drip pans are intact and the sockets fit the candles snugly.
Keep them well away from draughts and flammable fabrics. Never let the candles burn down to the socket, as the heat can singe the surrounding carved wood.
Leave the physical removal to a qualified electrician. Old wiring often runs through hollowed-out sections of the delicate wooden arms, and pulling it out roughly can snap the carving.
If you plan to use them as electric lights again, the entire circuit needs replacing. Modern braided flex can be threaded through the existing channels safely, keeping the cables hidden while meeting current safety standards.
Please note: This Antique Girandoles guide and its associated pricing data are provided for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute formal financial, investment, or appraisal advice and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for any commercial activity, purchasing, or sales decisions. Sellingantiques.co.uk accepts no liability for any actions taken in reliance on this information. Always consult with a qualified professional or independent appraiser.
