making a Schwibbogen / Christmas Arch - woodworking

Making a Schwibbogen ( german christmas arch )

Thank you Peter for inspiring me!
   / petetgif  

German schwibbogen or sometimes called german candle arches were first handcrafted around 1726 out of wrought iron. The german term schwibbogen refers to a type of arch constructed in gothic times when an arch between two walls was called "Schwebebogen" (floating arch). The look goes back to a tradition of miners, who hung their burning pit lamps semicircularly on the pit entry hole before they started their last shift before Christmas. The german schwibbogen or candle arch expresses the longing of light by the miners during their workdays. Schwibbogens today come in different distinctive styles. Some come with candles, while others are lit by tea lights or electric candles. They are beautiful home decorations on furniture or on a window sill.