The Mazarin style is named after Cardinal Jules Mazarin of France (1642-1161), chief minister to King Louis XIV.  Cardinal Mazarin figured largely in shaping French art and culture as well as being a noted collector and patron of the arts.  Mazarin fixtures are solid, heavy pieces, usually made of bronze or gilt-plated bronze.  Their classic elements include complete symmetry and angled arms, sculpted faces (often of cherubs or animals), floral and acanthus elements, and volutes. A good phrase to describe a Mazarin chandelier would be “stately and elegant”.

 

Bronze d'oré, also known as ormolu or gilt bronze, was a decorative finish used on luxury furnishings in the 18th and 19th centuries. An application of finely ground high carat gold and mercury amalgam was placed on objects of bronze. When subjected to extremely high heat, the mercury evaporated, leaving behind a lustrous coating of gold.