The Minton Majolica Gaselier

London Crystal Palace

The 1862 International Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London is notable for featuring the most fabulous single piece of majolica ever created, the Minton St. George Fountain. However, there was another fabulous, now lost, large piece of majolica that was created for the show—the Minton gaselier.

A hall in the Crystal Palace with the Minton St. George fountain 

in the foreground.

The gaselier was a large gas chandelier that stood 8’6” tall and 4’ wide. Located in the entrance of the Minton booth at the Crystal Palace, it was made to take advantage of the new gas lighting available to the middle class in modern construction. Although gas lighting was introduced in public spaces in London in the early 1800s it really wasn’t until the last half of the century that it found its way to private homes. Up until then oil light was the traditional form of lighting in the home. 

Minton booth at the 1862 Crystal Palace Exhibition

There were actually three different designs for the gaselier created by Minton though we only have photographs of one and concept drawings of the other two. I don't know if the other designs were ever manufactured. 

These chandeliers were not produced in great quantity. In fact we have no idea of how many were actually produced. None have survived to the author’s knowledge but photographs and the original design drawings give us an idea of how it might have looked. I suspect the trough around the base is intended as a container for plants.

Photograph of the Minton gaselier with its glass shades 

in the Minton museum in Stoke-on-Trent

The gaselier in the center of the Minton museum c. 1889

Composed of several sections, the middle section is identical to a familiar Minton garden seat. This gives us an idea of how large this was and how it must have looked.

Minton majolica garden seat

The concept drawing from the Minton pattern books show us how the other sections coordinated with this to make a striking, colorful chandelier. We show how it compares to the other gaselier designs from the Minton pattern books.

Drawing of the Minton majolica gaselier

Alternate design for a gaselier

Alternate design for a gaselier

The 1862 Exhibition catalog gives us another look at the gaselier.

It's unfortunate that none of these gaseliers have survived but like the St. George Fountain they are a legacy of great majolica lost to the ages.