3-Light Antique French Hanging Chandelier, Patinated Gold, Signed Art Glass Shades Rethondes

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Gems like this don't often come along! Lovely proportions, rich colors, excellent condition (rewired as well).

The (essentially) two-color shades … Read more Gems like this don't often come along! Lovely proportions, rich colors, excellent condition (rewired as well).

The (essentially) two-color shades are all signed RETHONDES, one of a handful of companies making art glass shades

The fixture itself is marked "Made in France" inside the canopy. I think there might be a name in the mold elsewhere but I can't read it. At any rate, all the "white" metal is made of spelter. Not the kind of flimsy white metal that you associate with Frankart and other American 1920s and 1930s enterprises! French spelter is heavy, very substantial and as you can see, with considerable detail.

This fixture has been restored -- painted with antique gold paint and then antiqued with black wax.

The three shades are in perfect original condition.

Perfect for a small room or entryway or hallway (wouldn't the library be perfect?). It will lend an air of "richesse" to your surroundings!

The sockets are the original French porcelain interior, bayonet-mounting sockets. I see no reason to change out the sockets to American sockets, as the only option would be candelabra sockets and they pale in comparison to the quality of the original French sockets, which surely will last hundreds of years into the future. No such luck with plastic American sockets.
You can easily purchase bayonet-mounting sockets made for the French or other European markets. There are bayonet-mounting sockets made for the American market as well, for 110-130 voltage (as opposed to the higher European 220). You can see a picture of a bayonet-mounting bulb -- the last photo. For an even easier solution, I will enclose three adapters with this light, which will allow you to use American screw-in candelabra bulbs, each of which will have a 60-watt maximum for 180 watts of light.

Measurements: Hanging about 24 inches overall as pictured. The "diameter" is about 17 inches overall. See less