- Circa 1885
- Transfer etched Gas Shades with pressed hoop patterns
- Overall : 37 1/2" drop x 27" diameter
- Shades : 3 3/4" depth x 7 1/2" diameter x 3 1/4" fitter
- Lights can be adjusted if desired
This restored antique 1880's Eastlake Satsuma Gas Chandelier is in
excellent used original condition. The fixture may be attributed to
the pre-eminent American Anglo-Japanese gas lighting manufacturer
Thackera, Buck and Company, circa 1881 or Thackera, Sons and Company,
1882, both of Philadelphia. The chandelier is constructed primarily
from polished yellow brass spun bodies; round, square and twisted
square brass tubing and decorative bronze castings. It is finished
in its original contrasting two-tone polychrome yellow-tinted clear
lacquer on the polished brass and clear lacquer on the polished
bronze castings.
A real conversation piece of special note are the three carefully
sculpted dragonfly bronze castings applied to the lower half body
that appear to fly around the bottom finial...each a fine piece of
original artwork by a dedicated 19th century artist.
The original iron gas pipe is sheathed in several lengths of brass
tubing and decorative spun brass breaks including a small scalloped
crown. A series of four flat bent brass straps attach to a small
machined brass ring on the vertical stem and to each square tubing
arm with decorative bronze castings designed in the Eastlake style to
form an openwork cage to surround the painted Satsuma brush pot
porcelain insert. Each strap is attached to the upper ring with half
of a stylized Anglo-Japanese sacred chrysanthemum bloom and to the
arm with a geometric three-leaf ornament. A flat thin bronze fin
casting modeled in the Eastlake style attaches to each flat strap.
All of these smooth, thin, flat castings are engraved with low relief
recessed art in the Eastlake manner.
The Satsuma brush pot ceramic insert is held in place on the center
stem by a pair of spun brass bodies. The ivory or cream-colored
glazed ceramic body is delicately decorated with a colorful hand-
painted raised floral border, two different types of blooming
flowers and circling bi-colored butterflies. The painted and glazed
Satsuma cylinder is reminiscent of the Eastlake Aesthetic period
artwork adapted from oriental gift wrapping paper. It is carefully
painted in red, pink, orange, blue, turquoise, yellow and green
colors and signed with an oriental signature in red.
The fixture has been polished and lacquered at some point and the
slightly tarnished patina developing beneath the existing finish
attests to the fixture's 120-year old history and antique character.
This incredibly lovely antique gas chandelier is a classic example of
fine American hand-craftmanship
