{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1261693"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1261693/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MG6149/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MG6149/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MG6149","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MG6141","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MG6147","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1261693","accessionNumber":"C.32-2013","objectType":"Chandelier","titles":[{"title":"'Blossom'","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Tord Boontje is a Dutch designer working in London. Born in 1968, he trained at the Eindhoven Design Academy then graduated from London's Royal College of Art in 1994. \r\nWith his partner, glass artist Emma Woffenden, he began his career making glassware from recycled bottles (Transglass, 1997). He started designing eyewear and watches for Alexander McQueen in 1998 and the following year gained notice for his brutalist Rough-and-Ready furniture at Tate Modern.\n\r\nHis design aesthetic changed radically with his daughter's birth in 2000. In 2002, drawing inspiration from flowers and lace, he created the Garland light for Habitat and the delicate Blossom chandelier for Swarovski. The latter, a simple, asymmetric form, completely transformed a very traditional object type. In 2003, Boontje designed the V&amp;A Swarovski crystal Christmas tree in collaboration with Alexander McQueen.\n\r\nBoontje started teaching at the Royal College of Art in 2002, becoming Professor and Head of Design Products in 2009 after several years spent in France. His Studio has collaborated with many major international companies and his work, which continues to win awards, is represented in the collections of a number of public museums and galleries chiefly in Britain, Holland and the USA.\r\n\r\n","physicalDescription":"Chandelier, metal armature shaped and divided to resemble branches, to which are attached numerous lead-crystal glass drops of several designs cut in facets to refract the light from 168 light-emitting diodes; some of the drops are coloured pink and set in groups to resemble five-petalled flowers and giving the overall effect of blossom.  ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tord Boontje","id":"A21225"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Prearo Collezione Luce S.r.l.","id":"AUTH326703"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Swarovski","id":"AUTH326704"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"x33306"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"glass","id":"AAT10797"},{"text":"metal","id":"AAT10900"},{"text":"diodes","id":"x38193"}],"techniques":[{"text":"cut","id":"AAT233397"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Metal, cut glass, diodes","categories":[{"text":"Lighting","id":"THES48925"},{"text":"Glass","id":"THES48946"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2019MG6149","2019MG6141","2019MG6147"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"131","id":"THES49882"},"free":"","case":"CEILING","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"chandelier","id":"AAT37622"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Venice","id":"x29237"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2002","earliest":"2002-01-01","latest":"2002-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"2003","earliest":"2003-01-01","latest":"2003-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Gift of Swarovski, London (Swarovski Crystal Palace Collection)","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"1600","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"19/08/2013","earliest":"2013-08-19","latest":"2013-08-19"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"1450","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"19/08/2013","earliest":"2013-08-19","latest":"2013-08-19"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"90","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"19/08/2013","earliest":"2013-08-19","latest":"2013-08-19"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"17","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"19/08/2013","earliest":"2013-08-19","latest":"2013-08-19"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"A Blossom Chandelier by Tord Boontje was first shown in the V&amp;A between 21 April and 9 June 2002 in galleries 62-63, which at the time served as a Contemporary Exhibitions Gallery. The <i>Milan in a Van</i> exhibition, curated by Gareth Williams, formerly of the Museum's FTF Department, brought cutting edge design straight from the 2002 Milan Furniture Fair. \n\nAnother Blossom was displayed by Jane Pavitt in her V&amp;A Contemporary exhibition, <i>Brilliant: Lights &amp; Lighting </i>between 12 February and 25 April 2004. A blue version was temporarily displayed in the Dress Gallery for <i>Swarovski: Runway Rock, </i>a V&amp;A Fashion in Motion event in November 2004, curated by Suzanne Lussier.\n\nThis Chandelier, with pink blossom, from the Swarovski Crystal Palace Collection, was presented to the V&amp;A in 2004 and displayed at the east end of the Glass Gallery (131) that March. ","historicalContext":"Installation and electrical instructions are on RF 2002/595","briefDescription":"Chandelier, cut glass Swarovski 'crystals' and light-emitting diodes on a metal armature, designed by Tord Boontje, London, 2002, made by Prearo, Venice, 2003","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jane Pavitt, 'Brilliant: Lights & Lighting', V&A Contemporary, 2004"}],"production":"Swarovski is the maker of the lead-crystal glass components of the chandelier.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"blossom","id":"x36410"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Label for the first Blossom chandelier exhibited at the V&amp;A's <i>Milan in a Van</i> exhibition 21 April to 9 June 2002, curated by Gareth Williams:\n\n<b>Blossom chandelier</b>\nSwarovski crystal, LED lights\n2002\n\n<b>Designed by Tord Boontje (Dutch, born1968, resident in London)</b>\nBoontje first caught attention with a range of brutalist furniture \ncalled Rough and Ready. His aesthetic softened, he said, with\nthe birth of his daughter, and his work today is more poetic and\ndecorative: blossom and the patterns of lace inspire him.\n\n<b>Manufactured by Prearo (Italy) using Swarovski crystal</b>\nSwarovski (founded in Austria, 1895) makes cut crystal for the\nluxury market. This year in Milan Swarovski organised an\nexhibition of contemporary chandeliers aiming to bring advanced\ndesign to the conservative chandelier sector. Prearo (founded in\nVenice, 1938) made this one. It is a marker of the Milan furniture\nfair's significance that it attracts exhibitors from the fashion and\nlifestyle industries.\n\n<sup>Lent by Swarovski</sup>\n","date":{"text":"April 2002","earliest":"2002-04-01","latest":"2002-04-30"}}],"partNumbers":["C.32-2013"],"accessionNumberNum":"32","accessionNumberPrefix":"C","accessionYear":2013,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2013-03-12","availableToBook":false}}