Grappolo — Alabaster Sphere Cluster Chandelier in Solid Brass

For the room where the ceiling is the first thing you see. Five feet of solid brass rod, fourteen hand-carved alabaster spheres in deliberate asymmetry — not a ring, not a tier, a vertical cluster that reads as a cascade when you look up at it and as a quiet column from across the room. The Grappolo is built for the architecture you don't ordinarily get to light well: the two-story foyer, the stairwell that turns halfway up, the double-height living room where a ring chandelier would look small and a linear chandelier would look wrong. Where it actually belongs: Down the center of a two-story staircase, hung so the lowest sphere sits at the midpoint of the run — you see the full 63" from both floors, and the alabaster glows from every landing angle. In a double-height foyer above the main entry, suspended so the lowest sphere clears the door swing by at least two feet. The cluster composition reads differently from every approach — which is what you want in an entry. Centered in a double-height living room, hung to terminate roughly 8–9 feet above the floor. This is the scale that balances against a 20-foot ceiling without competing with the fireplace or the view. In the well of a curved staircase, where the vertical form echoes the rise of the stairs themselves. Above a long dining table in a room with 12+ foot ceilings, hung as a vertical counterpoint to a horizontal table — unusual choice, but the right one for a gallery-style dining room. About the alabaster. Every sphere is hand-carved from natural Italian alabaster. The spheres in a single Grappolo are intentionally varied — some with heavy veining, some with softer cloudy translucency, all warm in tone but none identical. This is how real alabaster works: matched spheres are the mark of a resin-casting operation, varied spheres are the mark of natural stone and human selection. When lit, each sphere becomes its own small moon, and the cluster reads as a cohesive composition rather than a repeated pattern. You can request more veining (heavily patterned spheres, more dramatic character) or less veining (softer, quieter, more uniform) at checkout. If you don't specify, we select. About the brass. The rod and all fittings are solid brass, not plated — machined and finished by hand in our workshop in Torino. At 5 feet of exposed vertical metal, plated brass would reveal itself within the first year as the plating wore unevenly. Solid brass ages instead of failing: the finish darkens gently over time into a richer tone, which is how a fixture becomes a patina piece rather than a dated one. Unlacquered by default. We don't lacquer our brass at this scale because lacquer fails unevenly over years — and on a 5-foot rod, uneven lacquer failure is impossible to hide. Left raw, the brass ages honestly. Custom finishes on request. Brass is the default. We also build the Grappolo in antique brass, brushed brass, polished nickel, or matte black on commission. Specify at inquiry — lead times add 4–6 weeks for non-default finishes. Scale is the whole point. The Grappolo is sized for serious architecture. At 160cm (63") total drop and 50cm (19.7") maximum diameter, the rod is fixed — this is not a piece you shorten at install. If your ceiling can't accommodate the full drop plus at least 8 feet of clearance below the lowest sphere, this fixture is not the right one for the space. We'd rather tell you that up front than have you mount it wrong. Specifications Material: Hand-carved Italian alabaster + solid brass (not plated) Finish: Brass (default) / antique brass / brushed brass / polished nickel / matte black on commission Dimensions: 19.7" diameter × 63" total drop (50cm × 160cm) — rod is fixed, non-adjustable Weight: Approximately 86 lbs / 39 kg (heavy — requires structural ceiling blocking) Bulbs: 14 × G9, max 40W per socket (bulbs not included — LED strongly recommended) Total load: 560W maximum (at 40W LED equivalents, actual draw is far lower) Wiring: Hardwired, UL listed for US 120V, CE certified for 220V EU Dimmable: On request — specify at checkout, ships pre-wired for standard TRIAC dimmer Alabaster veining: More / Less / Random selection (specify at checkout) Mounting: Requires reinforced ceiling blocking or structural beam mount — a standard residential junction box (50 lb rated) is not sufficient for this fixture's weight. A licensed electrician with structural access is strongly recommended. Lead time: 6-8 weeks Origin: Designed in Torino, Italy Note: Alabaster is a natural material; variation in veining, tone, and translucency between spheres is intrinsic and part of the piece's character. Solid brass will patina over time — this is a feature, not a defect.