Lusterweibchen is a style of chandelier. It has a horizontal antler fixed with a carved wooden sculpture. The German term “''Lüsterweibchen''” (''little woman chandelier'') refers to the sculpture, while the lamp itself is categorized as a type of horn furniture.

History

The first chandeliers in the lusterweibchen style appeared at the end of the 14th century. The Marienkirche in

Lemgo Lemgo (; nds, Lemge, Lemje) is a small university town in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated between the Teutoburg Forest and the Weser Uplands, 25 km east of Bielefeld and 70 km west of Hannover. T ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, was illuminated by a chandelier that combined a bust of a woman with a pair of 12-point deer antlers. The artist of this particular piece is unknown, but the extraordinary chandelier inspired many other artists to create their own works. During the 16th century lusterweibchen chandeliers boomed, with famous designs by artists such as Albrecht Dürer,

Veit Stoss Veit Stoss (also: ''Veit Stoß'' and ''Stuoss''; pl, Wit Stwosz; before 1450about 20 September 1533) was a leading German sculptor, mostly working with wood, whose career covered the transition between the late Gothic and the Northern Renaiss ...

, and

Tilman Riemenschneider Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master ...

. They may have had an almost magical appeal, reflecting the spirit of the era. The most famous lusterweibchen design was a dragon chandelier carved by Veit Stoss according to a drawing by Albrecht Dürer. As an element of horn furniture, antlers are treasured by collectors and well suited for display. The combination of antler and a carved statue resulted in a perfect unit for decoration and room illumination. With the rising prosperity of the European middle class at the end of the 19th century, lusterweibchen chandeliers became an established design feature.Werner Dettelbacher: Meister Heinz Schiestl: Ein Würzburger Bildhauer, Verlag Ingrid Beck (1990) Artists created various designs ranging from copies of old drawings to busts of contemporary noblewomen,

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes ass ...

s, Dianas, coats of arms,

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

emblems, and lustermaennchen featuring male figures.

References

External links

Anthropomorphic Chandeliers of the 15th-17th Centuries

scans of historical pictures of lusterweibchen catalogues
{{Commonscat, Lüsterweibchen, Lusterweibchen Furniture Types of lamp