Festoon Use in Chandelier Design

Chandeliers are defined as decorative light fixtures with branched, light bearing arms that are hung on the ceiling. While the first chandeliers are said to have been nothing more than simple wooden crosses with spikes for candles, subsequent designs have become more and more refined and ornate over time. The crystal chandelier (Kronleuchter) was first designed in the 18th century, and since then many designs have featured gold ornamentation and other decorations. One such decoration that is often seen on chandeliers is the festoon. The word festoon comes from the French word feston and the Italian word festone, and is a term used to describe a wreath or garland that is bound together and suspended in a particular design.

Festoons are often hung from the bottom of chandeliers in order to make them more ornate, and are made from glass beads, regular beads, and other decorative materials. While most people associate festoons with the architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, they have also played an important role in chandelier design and construction. Along with festoons, some of the other design features that are included in chandeliers include soda glass, prisms, hoops, spires, waterfalls, and finials.

Festoons can be any arrangement of glass drops, beads, or other materials, which are draped and hung across or down the sides of a chandelier. Sometimes they are also shaped into a swag, although this form of decoration is also referred to as a garland. While many modern chandelier designers continue to experiment with the chandelier form, traditional designs that feature festoons and other similar decorations are still regularly seen. All chandelier designs have a strong and symmetrical geometric form, and the softness of falling festoons is the ideal way to shape this geometry into a more delicate, flowing, and organic form. The popularity of chandeliers does not look like going away any time soon, and festoons are likely to continue playing an important role in their continual evolution.