Chandeliers such as these were rare status symbols due to their high cost and only the wealthiest - such as owners of large country houses - could afford them. Crystal chandeliers were used on ceremonial occasions, and even hired for grand events.

Known as ‘crystal branches’, chandeliers were not only decorative objects, but they also served a practical purpose in lighting rooms. Before gas and electric lighting, candles were relied upon for illumination and the crystal parts maximised the available light. Candles were also placed in front of mirrors to reflect light further.

The chandelier is elaborately constructed. The structure is made up of a central spine, to which a series of discs and stems are attached. The individual crystal beads are carved with a variety of different patterns, such as curves, straight lines, squares and diamond shapes.

This chandelier, or one very similar to it, was used to decorate the lying-in-state of Duke of Albemarle in 1670. This chandelier was seriously damaged in the Hampton Court Palace fire in 1986, and required painstaking conservation to restore it. 

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