A rare pair of monumental lamps in glazed stoneware, the work of the Florentine ceramicist Marcello Fantoni (1915–2011), one of the leading figures of twentieth-century Italian art ceramics, whose pieces are held in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza.
The hand-shaped ovoid bodies display a poured glaze of remarkable chromatic subtlety: the creamy, frosted white of the summit dissolves in a gradient into bluish grey, then deep midnight blue, punctuated with ashen streaks. Flecks of pyrite and textured crystalline effects (characteristic of Fantoni’s explorations of materials) enrich the surface, at once grainy and luminous, revealing Fantoni’s mastery of the kiln.
Each piece is signed by hand on the reverse.
The electrification has been entirely renewed by a professional (new socket and wiring). The cylindrical shades in natural ecru fabric were made to measure by a shade-maker from the Decorative Arts sector, in perfect harmony with the tonality of the ceramics.
A spectacular Italian chandelier in Murano glass, composed of a multitude of long crystalline glass rods with prismatic sections, arranged in a cascade and of varying heights.
The composition, particularly elegant and sculptural, forms an animated and airy silhouette, characteristic of the great Italian glass design of the second half of the twentieth century by Venini, notably his compositions employing prismatic elements of the Triedri type, developed from the late 1950s onwards. The glass elements, of remarkable transparency, offer magnificent plays of light and reflection when illuminated.
The chandelier features a silvered/chromed structure. The warm reflections visible in the photographs derive solely from the lighting.
A very fine piece of great character, monumental and rare, particularly well suited to a contemporary interior, an entrance hall, a dining room or a space benefiting from generous ceiling height.
Italy, circa 1960–1970.
Electrification redone by a professional.
An elegant pair of two-light wall appliques, Italian or Venetian-style work dating from the mid-twentieth century (circa 1950).
Each applique comprises a shaped and curved mirror plate with bevelled edge, forming a reflective backplate. The glass is richly intaglio-engraved and embellished with gilded and sanded motifs, featuring at the top a stylised foliate design flanked by stars, together with broad leafy scrolls bordering the contours.
The lower structure supporting the two arms of light is executed in carved and gilded wood with an antiqued patina.
The curved arms with double moulding support moulded bobèches. The backs are of original plywood.
Very good overall condition.
Original electrification.
Wall light by the French designer Louis Sognot, emblematic of the organic modernism of the 1950s.
Bent rattan structure forming an elegant curvilinear handle supporting a lantern / cage.
Cylindrical inner shade in original ecru fabric filtering a soft, subdued light.
Original socket.
Very fine original condition.
Pair of lamps mounted on sake jars (tobin) in grey-white glazed stoneware, Japan, first half of the 20th century.
Each jar bears, on several faces, calligraphic inscriptions in black ink under the glaze, executed with the brush with remarkable gestural flair — names of trading houses and merchant quarters (Yūkiya, Rokkōmachi) characteristic of the commercial production of the Meiji–Taishō era. Body in stoneware with a slightly sanded ivory glaze, banded neck, squat ovoid form.
Traces of wear and natural patina consistent with age and original use.
Entirely new electrical fitting, carried out by a professional electrician, in accordance with current French standards.
Gilt brass socket. Conical natural linen shade included.
Available individually: €500 each
Pair of lamps with a rectangular base in solid crystal, Lynx model, created in 1973 by the sculptor Jean-Pierre Demarchi, then artistic director of the Daum crystalworks.
The crystal, hollowed into a biomorphic form of symmetrical scrolls, is enhanced by a column of white opaline crystal on one of the two bases and brown crystal on the other — a variation in tone that distinguishes each piece without breaking the unity of the pair.
The interplay between the transparency of the crystal and the matte finish of the central applique captures the light with striking sculptural presence, faithful to Demarchi’s approach, which regarded crystal as a material in its own right, on par with bronze or stone.
The strength of this pair lies in its bold chromatic and textural contrast.
Signed Daum France on each base.
Newly rewired to current standards by a professional.
Nine mouth-blown glass discs, each featuring a satin white opaline heart encircled by a ring of clear crystal — such is the visual grammar of these wall lights from the Vistosi glassworks, one of the founding houses of Murano lighting.
Mounted on their original white lacquered metal structure, the discs reveal, when illuminated, a diffuse, warm and luminous halo of great softness and great elegance.
An iconic signature of twentieth-century Italian design.
A doubly rare piece: for its generous square format and for the fact that it is presented as a matching pair, intact.
Sold as a pair.
A remarkable Italian table lamp from the 1970s, a period of creative effervescence during which transalpine design established itself as a global benchmark. The monolithic stem in cast translucent acrylic, of intense amethyst hue, presents bubble inclusions trapped within the mass during casting — an artisanal process characteristic of the finest Italian ateliers of the decade.
The rectangular section with bevelled edges lends the whole an assertive sculptural character. The chromed metal sphere articulating the stem and the socket, together with the cylindrical shade in brushed silvered metal, sit squarely within the formal vocabulary of the Italian Space Age, in the spirit of the creations of Romeo Rega.
Unsigned piece, attributable to a Milanese or Venetian design atelier of the 1970s.
Side wiring.
Origin: Italy, circa 1970
A veritable column of light, this exceptional piece embodies the quintessence of mid-twentieth-century Venetian lagoon craftsmanship. The dialogue between the solid crystal and the generous inclusions of gold leaf creates a chromatic vibration of rare intensity, characteristic of the Rugiadoso technique. The architectural silhouette, punctuated by a succession of eleven gadrooned and tapered sleeves, culminates in a majestic corolla that magnifies the diffusion of light. Its sculptural presence and gilded patina make it a historic milestone of prestigious Italian design. The gallerist’s advice: This monumental light fitting is the ideal piece for an architect’s office project seeking to punctuate a reception space with great ceiling height. For a striking contrast, it will integrate perfectly within a Minimalist Chic interior or alongside a Scandinavian rosewood sideboard, where its brilliance will warm the sober lines of Nordic furniture. Its imposing stature also allows it to be used as a focal point in a Hollywood Regency-inspired drawing room, bringing a touch of erudition and elegance. Materials: mouth-blown Murano crystal, internal inclusions of fine 24-carat gold, internal structure and connecting rings in gilded brass. Museum-quality state of preservation; the crystal shows no chips, no cracks and no restoration. Original electrical system serviced and functional. Period: Circa 1960 (Mid-Century Modern period). Italy, Murano, Barovier & Toso Manufactory
A unique collector’s piece for connoisseurs and enthusiasts of industrial and Space Age lighting. A genuine globe from the street furniture of the city of Paris, this characterful table lamp combines a chromed metal tulip-style base, emblematic of the 1970s, with a holophane glass globe. The globe is remarkable for its intricate moulded prismatic glass pattern, with grid and striated motifs typical of the historic urban luminaires of Paris.
This textured glass is not merely aesthetic; it is designed for optimal light diffraction, creating a soft yet shimmering ambience.
A true sculpture of light, at the crossroads of industrial design and modernism.
Some traces of age on the glass.
Rare set of three blown Murano glass wall lights attributed to Seguso, Murano.
Each wall light is composed of glass flowers with gold powder inclusions, assembled one by one onto a metal grid, creating a dense and luminous textured effect with golden reflections.
Venetian work, circa 1960–1970.
Condition: very good overall. One flower missing on one of the wall lights, barely perceptible. The other two in perfect condition.
Sold as a set of 3 pieces — not separable.
Remarkable pyramidal lamp base of square section, hewn from a block of unfilled Roman travertine displaying its characteristic horizontal veining, alternating warm ochre and beige.
The surface retains its natural cavities, a deliberate treatment that lends the piece its sculptural power and firmly situates it within the brutalist and mineral aesthetic of Italian design of the 1970s.
The shaft tapers progressively from base to crown in an obelisk-like movement of great geometric rigour.
Original label present: AREA Illuminazione, a transalpine manufacturer renowned for its luminaires in fine natural stone.
Later shade. Ivory white.
Very good overall condition.
Functional electrical fittings.