A Regency gilt-brass Gothic chandelier of massive proportions circa 1820, attributed to Sir Robert Smirke

the foliate cast corona above six ogee arched supports with crocketed decoration above spire finials united by a pierced gallery with a border of paterae and pierced tracery arcading below punctated by finials, the  continous downswept supports  filled with graduated faceted glass drops terminating in a polygonal lower part of conforming design with six octagonal blind tracery burners alternating with leaf and berry finials, the lower tapering supports converging on a pierced tracery collar with later pendant finial, the central iron truss-rod with radiating supports to the upper section

Commissioned by Sir William Lowther, 2nd Baronet, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, (1757-1844), for Lowther Castle, Westmorland circa 1820 and thence by family descent until sold 15th April 1947, Maple & Co., and Thomas Wyatt Auctioneers.

Later removed to Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Pwllheli, Wales.

Maple & Co and Thomas Wyatt Auctioneers, Sale Catalogue, 15th April 1947, `Lot 244b A Massive Gothic Chandelier/ of ormolu and gilt metal, the panels fitted with chains of cut lustre, fitted for/ electricity with 6 external and 3 interior lights, '- realised 70 Guineas.

An account and drawing of the present chandelier entitled `Plans for the Raising of the Lustre at  Lowther Castle Castle

Let all the Burners and Glass be removed/ Raise a scaffold as shown in Sketch of six upright/posts - the cross pieces at top must be strong enough/ to bear each six hundred weights.

/In the centre of cross pieces is to be a hook with nutt / and washer ( which will be sent) the nutt having handles/by which each hook may be easily screwed or raised by/ one man.

To these hooks  the lustre must be suspended by/ six ropes tied each to two of the strong bottom ribs/of lustre ( the ribs must first be secured from injury by/paper or linen rolled round where the tie is made).

By screwing up little by little each of the six hooks / the lustre may be safely raised- care being taken to/ steady the top of lustre with ropes to the cross-pieces.

The silk line and Iron rod may now be removed/ and as much of the rod cut off in the middle as the/lustre wants raising- the rod must be well-welded/ the line cut as much shorter as the Rod has been shortened.

The lustre may now be raised as described by turning/ round the handlesof the nutts of Hooks; and the rod and/ line be replaced- and lustre suspended as before/

Cutting and welding the rod is better than reforging the/ hook- the rod had better be tried before it is used with /three times ther weight of the lustre' . (Carlisle Records Office).

Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archeological Society, Vol. 84, 1984, Lowther Hall and Castle Illustrated, illustrates the chandelier in situ in the Saloon, circa 1910., p.200.

Good overall condition. Characteristic rubbing to finish. Lower central pendant finial now replaced with a later example which is dented and cracked. The shades to the burners missing. One of the cone shaped pendant finials to the outer ring of the lower section is missing. One of the mouldings to the corona is loose and needs fixing. One of the floral rosettes to this section is missing. Two spires to the top bent and missing tips. Another spire to the top bent and with a two inch section missing. One of the six downswept supports bent. ONe upright leaf to the gallery of the lower section missing. General minor distortions to many of the upright leaves to the galleries on both the upper and lower sections. One rosette boss to the lower section missing just above one of the blind tracery pendants. Drops missing from the upper ogee section and also to the tapering lower section. Existing drops with inevitable replacements and losses. Unexplained holes to cone shaped pendant finials to lower section. The central truss rod is corroded. Also present but not displayed are an additional incomplete collection of drops. Lovely mellow patina. For further information on this Lot, please contact the English Furniture Department on 00 44 (0) 207 293-5470.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Lowther Castle or Lowther Hall, as it was orginally called, was the seat of the Lowther family for three hundred years. By 1718 when the building was severely damaged by fire, the house had already been remodelled and extended three times. For the next hundred years it remained in a state of disrepair until William, 1st Earl of Lonsdale, commissioned the fashionable architect, George Dance to redesign the castle. Dance, who had been recommended to the Earl by his connoisseur friend Sir George Beaumont , drew up a plan in Gothic style for this new house. However Dance was already in his sixties and decided that the three hundred mile journey from the comforts of London too much and passed the work to his pupil Sir Robert Smirke ( 1780-1867), who completed the rebuilding between 1806 and 1820.

Lowther was Smirke`s first major commission to be followed by other important commissions including Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire (1812), Covent Garden Theatre, (1809), the General Post Office,  St Martins-le-Grand, (1823), The British Museum, ( completed 1847), Somerset House ( East Wing), (1828-31), the College of Royal Physicians (1825) and The Carlton Club (1835).

Although altering Dance`s plans, he still designed in the Gothic revival style producing a castle with a very romantic and picturesque silhouette with an appropriately Gothic interior consistent with this exterior. Gothic as an interior style had been popularised by such designers as George Smith who published in 1808 his Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration. About the Gothic, Smith wrote `Great care should be taken in fitting up apartments [in the gothic style]  to adopt an uniformity of ornament, and not to introduce any melange of dates and styles'. Smith referred to the style as `the only native old English style' and  commented that the style was `applicable only for a real gothic mansion; if not other wise used, it would be highly improper and out of taste'.   

The work had been estimated at £150,000 and many of the building materials had been provided by the estate. The  accounts of the period from May 1802 to May 1814 show that many local craftsmen were used  in its construction including Webster and Proctor for masons work, Webster for chimney pieces, Simpson of Kendal for plasters work and R.W. & R. Porter, Iron Founders of Carlisle. However the accounts also show that he also used London makers such as Bernasconi and Dixon.

Smirke is known to have designed furniture for some of his interiors as his extremely detailed drawings show for Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire from 1812 to 1819.  Sadly no designs exist showing any Lowther furniture or light fittings by Smirke. The attribution of the present  lot however can be strongly supported by manuscript detailed instructions apparently in the same hand as the Eastnor plans, and a drawing of the present chandelier, headed `Plans for raising Lustre at Lowther Castle' (see illustration),( DLONS L11/10/10/174). These instructions were contained with other Lowther documents including water colour drawings of architectural feature and details dating from circa 1815-20 and would appear to date from the same period. Smirke, unlike many of his contemporaries, was known to be highly efficient and competent, paying considerable attention to detail. This extremely detailed account of the hanging of the chandelier certainly suggests Smirke as its author.

An early 20th century photograph shows the interior of the saloon, (see illustration). It is interesting to note in that room on either side of the chimney piece and around the room are placed Gothic pedestals which appear to form part of overall design of the room and on which are placed gilt-brass candelabra ensuite to the chandelier. The pedestals appear to be integral to the overall design of the room strongly suggesting  that they were designed by Smirke and it seems likely that he too designed the lamps that went on them as part of this overall scheme. 

Accounts suggest that the chandelier and these other light fittings could well have been supplied by the local firm  R. W. & R. Porter of Carlisle.  The design appears to have been strongly influenced by  Parker and Perry, a distinguished firm of lighting makers, in London. It  is remarkably similar to a drawing for a Gothic style chandelier, possibly for Carlton House, supplied by this firm, illustrated in Jonathan Bourne and Vanessa Brett, Lighting in the Domestic Interior, 1991, p. 184, pl.603 ( see illustration). It is also remarkably  similar in design to ones which appear in a painting by C. Wild of the interior of the Gothic Dining Room at Carlton House which were also supplied by Parker and Perry at the end of 1816 and also to others  forming part of the collection in Windsor Castle, supplied by W. and G. Perry circa 1828 and illustrated in Hugh Roberts, For the King`s Pleasure, The Furnishing and Decoration of George IV`s apartments at Windsor Castle, 2001, p.398-9.