Things we can learn from Studying Wall Lights
Modern ceiling lights are bright, and they come in many colors, shapes and sizes. Before there were modern ceiling lights wooden chandeliers shaped into crosses were used, and then iron chandeliers. Wall lights were invented because it was not practical to fashion and hang chandeliers in passage ways. Through the years the wall lights have changed, and those changes give us clues about what was happening during those periods of history.
It is hard to imagine that something as simple as modern ceiling lights and wall lights could provide us with insight into our ancestors. These items typically progressed through the ages as the people learned more about different materials and the ways they could use them. Everyone had a need for wall lights just like everyone has a need for modern ceiling lights so it makes sense to study and exam items that all households had a need for.
The wall lights are called “sconces”. Sconces are known to have become popular in the middle ages when so many people lived in dark castles, caves, and other structures with few windows to allow light in. These sources of lights may very well have been used in some fashion since time began and people discovered the power of fire.
The largest rooms of the structure would have chandeliers that were fashioned into the shape of a cross. On each arm of the cross there would be places for a candle to sit. These items were raised and lowered using a rope that stayed permanently attached to them. Generally only the wealthy homes had chandeliers. The more modest dwellings would likely have wall lights, or be lit by the fire place that provided heat and a means of cooking food.
The sconces were placed in the passage ways of the castles and large structures. These items were generally placed at a height that was even with the normal head height of the average person. Looking back at this placement we can see that people are taller today than they were then. The sconces that were once just above the heads of the average person are now located just above the shoulders of the average person.
When these sconces were first fashioned they were crudely formed. Generally out of a metal and they were almost always oval in shape. They ranged in sizes depending on the wealth of the people that owned them. The wealthier people could have larger items than people of more modest means.
As time progressed people began to craft these items from metals that could be polished. This made them prettier but it also made them able to reflect the light that the candle created. This meant one sconce could illuminate a greater space. People were learning to use their materials in creative ways.
After a few years passed it was discovered that placing mirrors behind the polished metal sconces created even more light from each of the items. Only the wealthiest people could afford to have the mirrored versions, but it would not be long before the development was affordable to everyone.
Wall lights can be studied to show the different things that were happening in technology and human development when they were used. Modern ceiling lights have changed over the years as we became more advanced so it only makes sense that the sconces have also been progressing over time.
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