Whenever we think of crystal chandeliers we tend to imagine hanging objects: Glass elements of many different styles that enable lights to sparkle. But making chandeliers is not about working with glass. Without metalworking expertise, even the most beautiful crystals are left hanging in a state of limbo. This is why companies such as Bakalowits, which has been manufacturing crystal chandeliers in Vienna for almost 180 years, are principally metalworkers – masters in the shaping of materials such as iron and brass. They buy all the glass parts from their partners in Murano or Austria.
The traditional crafts business Bakalowits has been manufacturing crystal chandeliers in Vienna for almost 180 years. Whenever we think of crystal chandeliers we tend to imagine hanging objects — Glass elements of many different styles that enable lights to sparkle. But making chandeliers is not about working with glass: The craftspeople mainly process metal (the glass is bought from glass manufacturers) and they are very skilled at bending metal profiles with the help of bending templates. The bending templates are usually used for metal frameworks of chandeliers. The form language is derived from the possibilities of the bending templates.
