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Shangri La Stories

Stories from the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design

Stories from the Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design


Crystal Clear

Jeremy Pang, Galleries and Collections Coordinator (left), Crystal Baccarat chandelier (center) and Kent Severson, former Conservator and now Consultant (right)

Cleaning of our crystal Baccarat chandelier - made for the last Nizam (ruler) of Hyderabad - is a complex task we undertake once per year. Each prism is checked individually, removed for cleaning in distilled and deionized water (no Windex for these beauties!), and its hanging hardware assessed for weaknesses. The underlying structure of the chandelier is checked up close - hence the scaffolding platform constructed below the artwork - and each fixed element cleaned in place.