Here's a very early Art Nouveau chandelier from La Belle France, with very early unsigned Daum "tulipes," or shades as we Americans call them.

The shades are limey-green/yellow and opalescent in color. They're positively eggshell-thin, and of course it's a near-miracle that they're still intact after a 100-plus years of being subjected to us humans.

They're five inches long and 6 inches wide at the opening, and need I say, the essence of the spirit of Art Nouveau? They're in flawless mint condition, with the exception that the one pictured here had the tiniest "flea bite" on the rim, which I've delicately and carefully and completely sanded out. You can see how there's a tiny variation in the back rim, about a third of the way up from the bottom. Note the tiny lift in the path of the arm as it meets the top of the socket... further testimony to the brilliance of the designer.

The chandelier's no slouch, either, with its multitude of leaves and tendrils firing off in every direction! The chandelier's solid brass, with a nice patina.

Isn't that canopy a delight? Note that the three-leafed decorative element a few inches down from the canopy is missing one of its tendril/leaf combination. There's a solder mark on the small leaf near the shaft suggesting that it was there at one time in the past.

The decorative cover where the three arms begin is fractured. Fortunately this doesn't have any bearing on the solidity of the fixture, and there's no compromise in that respect. It's quite difficult to see this break from below, when the fixture is installed in the room.

You're wondering who created this magnificent festival of decorative brass? So am I, and fortunately the maker had the pride and wherewithall to sign his work. Three of the elements are stamped with the initials R.F. -- the two large leaves which come off the center of the shaft, and the interior of the canopy. You can see one such set of initials here, on the bottom right of the back of this leaf, near the stem. Well, so who was R.F., if you don't mind sharing?

There was a fourth socket emanating from the bottom of the fixture, but with just three shades I wasn't interested in keeping it. I fitted a brass 1/2 ball into the space.

As pictured, the fixture hasn't been rewired. Basic overall dimensions: 15-inch drop from the ceiling, about 25 overall diameter.