I Wonder....

So. Here are two chandeliers I bought years ago from a friend. They have languished in storage for at least seven years. Why did I buy them? I had great plans! I was going to take all the crystals off, then clean and paint them, and rewire them.

Why? So I could display them in my antiques booth and sell them. They met my basic rule: I could sell them for four times what I paid for them. Of course, time is money, and there would be a lot of time spent fixing them up and rewiring them.

And obviously, it never happened: I took this picture last weekend.

And now, as I look at the picture, I have to wonder: where did they come from? What events did they illuminate? What did they hear whispered beneath them?

Did one of them hang in a dining room? Presiding over the dining table and holiday feasts? Were there turkeys carved by their light? Did a family come together to celebrate an important occasion beneath one of them?

And holidays. Were they festooned with greenery and gaudy baubles for Christmas? Did Easter eggs hang from them? Or shiny red hearts? Perhaps a garland of spring flowers. Or maybe fairy-like angel hair? Or brightly colored bead garlands?

I know what my mother would have done with them: she would have used gold spray paint (her favorite!) and garlands of “diamonds” to catch the reflection of the lighted bulbs. At night, when it was dark, she would light the chandelier and it would look magical!

Me? I would paint them white. A few years ago, when “Shabby Chic” was all the rage, chandeliers hung in unusual places, like in gazebos and on patios. That’s what I would have done: paint them white and hang them on my patio.

So, why do I have them? What misfortune caused them to become homeless? My friend, from whom I bought them, has relatives who live in Coalinga. Perhaps the chandeliers are all that is left of a home that was destroyed in the Coalinga earthquake. They have no discoloration, so there was no fire involved in whatever happened to them.

Perhaps they just fell from grace. Perhaps they outlived their usefulness. Or another light fixture was more esthetically pleasing to the owner of the dwelling in which they resided.

They aren’t that old. The wiring is plastic-coated, not fabric-covered, so they are from the 1950’s or later. There isn’t a great deal of wear and tear on them, just wiring that needs to be redone. And a good polish, or some paint. Without much work, they could be Painted Ladies, in all their glory again.

Or perhaps they have spent most of their existence in a box, in storage, waiting for someone to recognize their true value and to appreciate their good qualities. Someone who wants to illuminate family gatherings, festive feasts, and lively conversations with some panache.

Maybe I’ll keep them….