Two Large Gilt Metal and Cut Glass Chandeliers from the Embassy of Italy, Washington, D.C.

Late 19th/ Early 20th Century

Height of larger 79 x diameter 52; height of second 62 x diameter 42 inches.

Donated by Sharon and Bruce Bradley for sale to benefit the Muscarelle Museum of Art

Note:

The two chandeliers offered in the present lot come from the former Italian Embassy in Washington D.C. Famed architectural firm, Warren and Wetmore (designers of New York’s Grand Central Terminal) were hired as the architects and in 1924 the building was constructed. Incorporating elements of traditional Italian palazzo architecture, the embassy was largely decorated in the Italian Renaissance and Baroque taste. [1]

The large scale of the chandeliers was well suited to the one and a half story salon which they adorned. Early images of the salon suggest that these fixtures were replacements after renovations undertaken in the mid twentieth century. In 1977 the embassy moved away from residential use and became primarily a chancery. The chandeliers seem to have remained in place, despite the removal of some other items in the collection. [2] The chandeliers can be seen pictured in an Evening Star article about the Embassy in the 1980s.

The proceeds from the sale of this lot benefit the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The collection encompasses a wide array of artistic styles and mediums, with a particular focus on early American and British portraiture. The museum is presently working to expand its gallery space providing for further display of its permanent collection.

[1] Sue A. Kohler and Jeffrey R Carson, Sixteenth Street Architecture Volume 1 (United States Commission of Fine Arts, 1978), 435.

[2] Kohler and Carson, Sixteenth Street Architecture Volume 1, 436.

Photo Credit: Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division