A magnificent antique chandelier featuring a patrician lady depicted as a mermaid. The finely hand-modeled and painted figure is made of gypsum (plaster) and dressed in richly detailed Renaissance-style garments, including a pearl necklace and a tall pointed headdress. Her upper body emerges from a fish tail, forming an elegant and mythical composition. The sculpture is mounted on large stag antlers extending into ornate brass candle arms with electrified sockets shaped like dripping wax candles. Suspended by a forged iron chain, this remarkable chandelier combines mythological imagination with the refined craftsmanship of the late 19th century. Manufactured in Germany around 1880. A rare and decorative centerpiece for a historic interior or hunting lodge.

A characteristic example of a lusterweibchen is a wooden female bust with a lofty but pleasant glance. The sculpture is fastened with iron chains hanging from the ceiling, the body is fixed to a deer antler and shaped as a chandelier with wrought-iron candle holders. The first chandeliers which are designated to the so-called lusterweibchen can be assigned to the end of the 14th century. People were fascinated by the combination of art and nature and the impressive design emitted a subliminal apotropaic magic. Famous artists such as Veit Stoss, Albrecht Dürer and Tilman Riemenschneider designed marvellous unique lusterweibchen and set standards for many successors. From the second half of the 19th century until the beginning of World War I a fashionable domicile was equipped with a lusterweibchen. An industry of lusterweibchen manufacturers evolved and lusterweibchen could be purchased from catalogues. Lusterweibchen are multifaceted. Noble ladies, Dianas, mermaids and guilds are fondly used characters. But they are not majority female. There are also well-known mystical creatures (dragons, chimeras, animal and hybrid creatures) and popular lustermaennchen.

artfour is an owner-managed trading company that sells Black Forest wood carvings, antler furniture and an impressive variety of unique decorative items. Our antiques are on display in a century-old barn in southern Germany, which we renovated ourselves. Antiques have been our passion since the 1980s. We ship worldwide, perfectly packaged and with a money back guarantee. This allows us to be your preferred partner for the Black Forest and ancient art.