Featured Forged chandelier ~ King Arthur would approve

Got this years ago from a friend of a maintenance person who worked at The Cincinnati Art Museum. Story was that in the 1930's 12 of these forged steel chandeliers were custom commissioned for the museums new armor room. This is the 13th one - made as a reserve in case any of the 12 for display were ever damaged. It stands 22" tall, 32" at the widest (4" light platforms), openings in turrets would have had backlit curved glass. Built as electric, but it was never wired. The piece is very heavy and weighs in at about 60 lbs. So far not been able to prove the museum origins, but I did contact them, and was told the claim is plausible and they would look for photographs of the Armor Room . . . have not heard back so far.

 

I hope they can find something, @Drew !

 

Very cool. While parts appear forged, I believe it is all cast. 30s looks right. Besides curved glass, it could have had mica panels

 

A great looking chandelier, I hope you'll hear back from them soon.

It looks cast to me too, but I don't have it in hand.

 

I'm sticking with forged - the decorative side panels are about 14-16 gauge steel, towers are an even thicker sheet steel with a framing of it's arches applied. The tops above the fleur de lis cut outs are what at first glance seem cast, but with a close look are forged to my eye, as are the castle motif's around the piece. Arms and disks pressed steel. One would have to see it in person to agree, but detail is very crisp on it, much more so then any cast iron piece I've seen & under stress it will flex as one would expect with mild steel. Of course the note it came with is no proof, but particular mention is made of the 'forged steel'. I'll add that not a hand hammer forging, but rather a machine forging.