9th C. Byzantine Bronze Hanging Candelabrum w/ Cross

Near East / Holy Land, Byzantine Empire, ca. 9th to 12th century CE. A beautiful, fascinating object from a wealthy Byzantine church or home - a near-round, five-sided candelabrum. A symmetrical, segmented, openwork motif border, likely from the 18th or 19th century, gives the piece a clock-like appearance, at least to the modern eye - but in antiquity, this bronze disc would have been held by its three openwork bronze chains, which are still present here, and suspended from a stand by the heavy hook. On this example, the three chains are brought together at a tall, flat cross. Openings in its arms suggest further attachments. Beneath the exterior openwork section is a series of impressed Latin letters that, while untranslated, perhaps provides a dedication to the structure it was displayed in. Candles or lamps would have been set into the round areas of the surface. Size (base): 17.75" W (45.1 cm); (chain): 40.5" L (102.9 cm)

Bronze furniture and decorative art were luxury items in the eastern part of the Roman Empire, and the Byzantine Empire that followed, reserved only for the richest households. Even there, they seem to have been heirlooms; some scholars believe that they were passed down through multiple generations, gaining additions like crosses, new lids, or new feet to suit changing decorative styles. Imagine how the light would have played off of this when it was new and polished to shine!

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-private G. Pattitucci collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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#146285
Condition Report: Central basin portion, chain, cross, and suspension loops are from the stated time period, and openwork exterior portion is from the 18th to 19th century CE. Exterior openwork section attached to peripheries of central dish, with resurfacing and overpainting along new material and break lines. Chain is detached from body and is missing a few of the hooks but is overall in very nice condition. Plate is in excellent condition. Both have rich patina.