Large ornate German silver plated hanging lantern by WMF

This fine piece is a large, ornate, hanging lantern, suspended by curb chains, with a lighting mount inset atop a large, round, pointed gadroon finial.

It was made by WMF, or a German producer of metalworks, originally founded in 1853 and expanding into Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik after a merger in 1880. The intricacy and complexity of the piece, with beautiful spiralling inverted fluting and classical busts to either side, is indepted to WMF's process of galvanisation, submerging exceptionally detailed designs into baths of silver and applying a uniform layer via an electric current. 

Still in production today, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century they produced a large number of exceptional decorative works in a variety of styles, from high art to Art Deco and Art Nouveau. Their technological prowess enabled them to acquire other firms and make pieces of unmatched quality designed with expert care to match the tastes of buyers of the time. The appeal of their pieces remains, as demonstrated by this fine work, which draws upon earlier styles to create an elegant, impressive, highly accomplished interior addition.