How a basket chandelier is built
The structure starts with a crown: a ring of gilt bronze or brass, often cast with palmettes, laurel or stars, hung from three or four chains. From the crown fall the strands, each a chain of faceted buttons called octagons, joined by small pins. The strands converge on a smaller ring or a finial at the bottom, forming the bag. Candle arms either sit outside the basket, so the light plays through the strands, or the bulbs sit inside the bag. A mid-sized crown of 18 to 20 in (46 to 51 cm) can carry 300 to 600 octagons.
The pins are the weak point. Brass pins age well; steel pins rust and stain the glass, and a rusted pin breaks when a strand is handled. Octagons come in standard sizes, commonly 14 mm and 16 mm across the flats, and a strand mixes sizes only when it has been repaired. The bottom finial, a ball or a spear-shaped drop, is the piece most often lost, and its absence changes the silhouette more than any single missing button.
Empire origins and twentieth-century versions
The bag of strands belongs to the Empire period, from about 1804 to 1815, when gilt-bronze crowns with cornucopias and lamps replaced the open cage of the previous century. The Restauration and the later nineteenth century kept the form. Paris workshops produced it again around 1900, and from the 1950s to the 1970s factories in Italy and Spain made large numbers of basket chandeliers in brass with pressed glass. In French listings the form appears as lustre à corbeille or lustre sac à perles; in British listings as a bag chandelier.
The name does not date the piece. A period Empire crown shows crisp, hand-chased casting and old gilding worn on the high points; a twentieth-century crown is lighter, with a lacquer finish and stamped rather than cast ornament. Lead crystal buttons are heavier than glass and ring when tapped; pressed glass carries mould seams and softer edges. Attribute a period only when documents or construction evidence support it, and describe everything else as a basket chandelier in the Empire style.
Re-stringing, missing drops and cleaning
Strands sag when pins stretch, and they break when a pin fails, so a basket chandelier is often bought with a few strands missing or shortened. Re-stringing is slow but straightforward: measure the octagon size, count the buttons on an intact strand, and rebuild the short strands with matching buttons and brass pins. Order a few more octagons than the count; old buttons chip at the drilled holes. Replacement cut crystal is available in the standard sizes, but match clarity with the old strands rather than fitting bright modern buttons next to grey ones.
Cleaning is done strand by strand. Dust the crown and arms with a soft brush. Strands can be unhooked, washed in lukewarm water with a little mild soap, rinsed and laid flat to dry on a towel; never twist a strand or let it hang wet, since water sits in the pin holes. Avoid spray cleaners, which run into the gilding. The Canadian Conservation Institute gives the handling rules for glass and for gilt and lacquered metal that apply here.
What to compare
| Form | Suggested Use | Decisive Check |
|---|---|---|
| Closed basket with lights inside | Dining room centrepiece | Strand count against the crown holes |
| Open basket with outside arms | Entrance hall with height | Arm wiring and the hook |
| Small bag, 12 to 15 in across | Bedroom or hallway | Ring diameter against drop spacing |
| Twentieth-century brass and glass | Everyday rooms, kitchens | Lacquer wear and pressed-glass seams |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a basket chandelier?
A basket chandelier hangs strands of faceted crystal buttons from a metal crown so that they gather into a bowl, or bag, at the bottom. The form belongs to the Empire chandeliers of the early nineteenth century and was repeated in gilt metal and glass through the twentieth century. Candle arms sit outside or inside the basket.
Is a bag chandelier the same thing as a basket chandelier?
Yes. British dealers say bag chandelier, American dealers say basket chandelier, and French listings use lustre à corbeille or lustre sac à perles. All describe strands of crystal converging into a bowl below a crown. The term describes the form only and does not establish the period of a particular piece.
Can missing crystals on a basket chandelier be replaced?
Yes. Octagon buttons come in standard sizes, commonly 14 mm and 16 mm, and replacement cut crystal is available. Measure the buttons, count an intact strand, rebuild the short strands with brass pins, and match clarity with the old glass. Order extra buttons because old pieces chip at the drilled holes.
How do you clean a crystal basket chandelier?
Dust the crown and arms with a soft brush. Unhook the strands a few at a time, wash them in lukewarm water with mild soap, rinse and dry them flat on a towel. Never twist a strand or hang it wet. Avoid spray cleaners, which run into gilding and leave residue in the pin holes.
Sources & further reading
- Canadian Conservation Institute — Caring for ceramic and glass objects — Washing and handling faceted glass without scratches or thermal shock.
- Canadian Conservation Institute — Care of metal objects — Care of gilt, lacquered and bare brass on the crown and arms.
