Once American homes began using fixed-position candle-bearing fixtures, a little after the colonial era, the curved-arm chandelier was one of the few dominant forms. Ringed ball anchor and subtle finial are norms of these “colonial” chandeliers, as are its candle cups and bobeches. It’s the metal ring set off the ball, clasping its flowering of lithe and lively arms, that makes the fixture unique. A ridged half-cylinder on the backplate takes the place of this ring in the wall sconce versions.
