Hurricane Britannia

Illuminate your space with the "Hurricane Britannia," a tribute to candlelit elegance. Standing at 68 cm with a Ø of 22 cm, this piece, adorned in bronze highlights and clear glass, channels the historical charm of candle-based lighting. Before modern innovations, candles illuminated homes, often displayed on elegant torchères. This torchère, inspired by Neo-classical design, harks back to an era of sophistication. The "Hurricane Britannia" brings a touch of timeless grandeur, capturing the spirit of an age when candlelight graced formal gatherings and added grace to opulent settings.

HISTORIC PROVENANCE

The Hurricane Britannia takes its design cues from a pair of British candlestands (ca. 1780–90) at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Before Argand oil lamps were introduced in the late 18th century, illumination in domestic settings was mostly by candlelight. Given the high cost of wax, the use of multiple candles in an evening was usually reserved for formal occasions such as balls or grand dinners. Candles were placed in hanging, wall-mounted, and standing holders such as chandeliers, girandoles, and candelabras. During the mid-18th century, elaborately carved Rococo designs appeared in English pattern books, followed by designs in the more restrained Neoclassical style, exemplified by the candlestand that inspired this hurricane light, with its carved and painted basswood, glass, and gilded-bronze mounts. Our sophisticated hurricane light is crafted in a bronze-highlight finish with a clear glass lantern.