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.

This year, our Conservation Technician Lynne Najita and our Galleries and Collections Coordinator Jeremy Pang were joined by our former Conservator, and now Consultant, Kent Severson, to take on this multicolored beast of glass art.