The great dressed fixtures of the late Georgian period in England, of which the Bohemian-Marien fixtures are a superb example, were the height of luxury at the time, being both very expensive and intricate in their production. After their installation, the work involved in maintaining this means of lighting the domestic interior was laborious. Candles had to be continuously replaced, or trimmed and straightened after every lighting, and each bobeche and their adjacent spattered crystals cleared of wax, washed and polished. Only those in the higher levels of society could afford staff especially employed for this purpose. Specifically, a “lamp and candle man” was hired to maintain the lighting arrangements, and a small room, the “lamp and candle room” was required in the residence where all the materials and equipment for this task were kept. Today, electric lighting contributes to the minimal upkeep required to maintain the dressed crystal fixtures without compromising their sumptuous beauty.
Colorful or uniquely patterned glass diffusers are typically hand made and, as such, will exhibit some variation in both color and pattern.
Such variations should be considered normal and indicative of hand crafting rather than machine production. |