French gilt-bronze.

Centuries ago, as day turned into night and darkness descended, flickering candles and the soft glow emanating from fireplaces were the only sources of illumination available. To maximize this limited amount of light, objects were made to be reflective. In France, for example, highly polished furniture was enhanced with gilt-bronze decorative mounts and hardware; yards and yards of silk were fashioned into curtains and upholstery; large looking glasses were hung in prominent locations; shiny fabrics were made up into dresses and coats; chandeliers were hung with hundreds of crystal prisms; and gilt-bronze candleholders and sconces were placed on tables and mounted on walls, respectively. All these luxurious materials amplified the available light, and contributed to the opulence of sumptuous interiors at all times of day.

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M. E. Dupont, a company in Montreuil-Sous-Bois, France, outside Paris, founded thirty-five years ago, specializes in making gilt-bronze lighting fixtures and hardware for furniture and architectural elements. Its highly skilled craftsmen, who serve lengthy apprenticeships, have completed projects for the Chateau de Versailles, the Hotel de Ville in Paris, and, in this country, the New York Public Library and Boston University. Aside from offering some five thousand re-creations of furniture and architectural hardware from the eighteenth century through the art deco period, the company also executes custom orders and has a ...