Could a chandelier fall in a fire?
I have a scene where a mansion is up in flames. A crystal chandelier plummets and smashes on the marble below. Is this totally outlandish? It's set in a fantasy time period around the late 1600's. I love the scene, though. Any info?
Edited to add: Thanks so much for the fascinating information! I just had a ding! moment. Besides being on fire, the ( Read more... )
Crystal chandeliers of a sort did exist in the late 1600s, but the crystal pieces were carved from rock crystal, and the chandeliers themselves were nowhere near as elaborate as they were from the mid-18th century onward.
The difficulties involved in finding very clear crystal meant that crystal refractors on chandeliers were incredibly expensive--they were only within reach of the wealthiest of the wealthy, and even a chandelier hung with crystal refractors wouldn't have been covered in them. Lead-crystal glass used in crystal chandeliers brought the cost down and made increasingly elaborate chandeliers possible, but it wasn't invented until the 1670s, and big all-crystal chandeliers didn't come into being until well into the 18th century.
Most chandeliers during the 1600s were made of silver, bronze, or brass, and could be gilded. However, without faceted crystal to magnify the light, hanging candles overhead wasn't a very efficient way to illuminate a room. Even in a large room light was more likely to come from candles in wall sconces, or set in candelabra or floor stands, with mirrors set behind them to reflect the light.
If you want a chandelier to come crashing down in your story, the best way to do it might be to have the rope hanging it from the ceiling catch fire and burn. Whatever your chandelier is made from, it should come down with a very satisfactory smash well before the rest of the room does.
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