Antique Table Lustres
Antique table lustres are decorative candleholders hung with glass prisms that catch the candlelight, bringing warmth and sparkle to any room.
Antique Table Lustres
When you search for antique table lustres, you are looking at ornamental lighting pieces designed to sit on tables, mantelpieces and sideboards. These decorative items combine a central candlestick or lamp body with a crown of hanging crystal prisms that refract the candlelight.
The versions you are most likely to meet on this page span several distinct periods, including the Regency era, the Victorian period and the early twentieth century. They appear in forms ranging from single mantel lustres to pairs of table candelabras fitted with cut glass drops.
Origin and style vary considerably across the selection, featuring English brass and glass candle-lamps alongside French gilt-brass and opaline table lustres. Makers utilised rich colours such as ruby, green, pink, and Bristol blue within glass and crystal bodies.
How they were made
Makers constructed the structural bodies of these pieces using cast metals like brass, bronze, gilt brass, and ormolu. These metal components provided a sturdy base and stem to support the weight of the candle sockets and the suspended glass ornamentation.
The glass and crystal elements, including the body components and the hanging drops, were shaped through cutting, moulding, and blowing techniques. Artisans also incorporated enamel decoration and gilt metal mounts to add intricate detail to the finished candle lamps and candelabras.
What varies in quality
Quality in these pieces rests largely on the clarity and depth of the glass or crystal used for both the body and the hanging drops. Hand-cut prisms with sharp, clean facets catch and reflect light more brilliantly than plain moulded alternatives.
The refinement of the metalwork also distinguishes different tiers of manufacture. Finely chased gilt bronze, heavy brass castings, and well-executed ormolu mounts indicate superior craftsmanship compared to simpler metal alloys.
The Antique Table Lustres Glossary
- Lustre
- A decorative table candleholder hung with cut glass prisms or drops designed to catch and refract light. These pieces typically sat on mantelpieces or dining tables.
- Drop
- A small piece of cut glass or crystal suspended from the rim of a lustre to enhance its sparkle. Drops are often attached using wire loops.
- Ormolu
- Gilt bronze ornamentation applied to furniture and decorative objects. The technique involves creating a finely ground gold and mercury amalgam on a bronze base.
- Opaline
- An opaque or semi-translucent glass popular in the nineteenth century. It appears in various delicate pastel shades on decorative table wares.
Antique Table Lustres: Frequently Asked Questions
What are antique table lustres?
Antique table lustres are decorative candleholders featuring suspended glass prisms designed to catch and reflect the light from candles.
They function both as illumination and as ornamental centrepieces for tables and mantelpieces.
How were table lustres used?
People placed them on dining tables, sideboards and mantelpieces to provide ambient lighting during evenings.
The hanging crystal drops maximised the flickering glow of the candles in rooms before electric lighting.
How do I date a lustre?
Dating relies on identifying the stylistic markers of periods such as Regency, Victorian or Art Deco eras.
Materials like Bristol blue glass, opaline, or ormolu mounts also point towards specific manufacturing decades.
How do I clean antique lustres?
Cleaning requires gentle dusting with a soft cloth and careful washing of individual glass drops in lukewarm water.
Harsh chemicals must be avoided to protect the gilt finishes and enamel decorations on the metal and glass.