Art Deco industrial designer Walter von Nessen is best known for his glamorous Machine Age lighting designs and for his invention of the swing-arm lamp. Von Nessen was born in Germany, where he studied under Bruno Paul at Berlin’s Kunstgewerbeschule. After World War I, he worked for the architect Peter Behrens, in Berlin. He left in 1919 for Stockholm, where he designed furniture until emigrating with his wife, Margaretta, to the United States in 1923. In 1927, the couple opened Nessen Studios in Manhattan, designing and selling sleek, modern architectural lighting.
Art Deco was both novel and exciting in the late 1920s — as, indeed, was electricity itself — and Nessen Studios was at the forefront of the movement. Electric lighting designers at the time had no direct models to follow. The shapes and silhouettes of gas lamps, lanterns and chandeliers had been influenced by those of the kerosene-, oil- and candle-lit fixtures that preceded them, which in turn were informed by the fuels they used. Electric lighting required designs that accommodated essentials of the new technology, like cords and sockets. Von Nessen and his contemporaries thus had to create fixtures that addressed these challenges and looked modern without appearing overly mechanical.
Along with industrial-design visionaries of the period like Raymond Loewy, Gilbert Rohde and Donald Deskey, von Nessen crafted a style that was emblematic of the Machine Age. He produced lamps and home accessories from spun aluminum, with smooth surfaces that evoked the polished gleam of streamlined automobiles and airplanes. And he experimented with other popular materials of the era, such as Bakelite, chrome and fiberglass. His ingenious design for the now-ubiquitous swing-arm lamp earned him a reputation as an innovator.
Von Nessen’s work is represented in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum, among other institutions. Designed to complement the luxurious interiors of the 1920s and ‘30s, still look fresh nearly a century later.
Brass Vase by Walter von Nessen for Chase
By Chase Brass and Copper Company, Walter Von Nessen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brass vase by Walter von Nessen for Chase, c.1930s, USA. The solid patinated brass Art Deco vase features a tulip opening and four incised rings around the bottom of the vessel. Impr...
Brass
$673Sale Price|25% Off
WALTER VON NESSEN 1930 For Chase Lacquered Toy-Soldier Figure In Gilt Brass
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Miami, FL
Art deco figure designed by Walter Von Nessen for Chase Usa Co. This is a beautiful Streamline decorative desk figure created during the Art Deco period by Walter Von Nessen for the...
Brass, Enamel
A pair of metal and copper Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen circa 1930s
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Houston, TX
A pair of Art Deco bookends by Walter Von Nessen feature two concentric rings of metal and copper with three sphere accents on each. 5.25” H x 5” W x 2.5” D $450
Metal
Brass Paperweight with Elephant Motif by Walter Bosse
Located in Vienna, AT
A solid brass paperweight designed by Walter Bosse, executed by Herta Baller, featuring a stylized elephant motif. Well-crafted with a warm, even patina and characteristic mid-centur...
Brass
$750 / set
H 9.5 in W 8.5 in D 4 in
Pair of Chrome 'Taurex' Candlestick Holders by Walter Von Nessen for Chase
By Chase Brass and Copper Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of chrome candle holders by Walter Von Nessen for Chase Brass and Copper Company of Connecticut, c.1930s, USA. The pair of Art Deco candle sticks feature a "J" shaped stem. The ...
Chrome
Italian Handmade Ceramic Vase by Flavia Montelupo
By Flavia Montelupo
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Unique Italian glasses vase with beautiful colors by Flavia Montelupo.
Ceramic
$265 / set
H 2.5 in W 2.5 in D 2.5 in
Art Deco Chrome & Cobalt Blue Glass Candleholders by Walter Von Nessen for Chase
By Chase and Co., Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
This stunning pair of Art Deco candleholders, designed by Walter Von Nessen for Chase in circa 1935, embodies the innovative elegance of Machine Age design. Von Nessen's work is cele...
Chrome
Pair of Bookends, Metal and Wood
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of wooden and gold metal bookends. The decorative elements of these bookends have been placed on L-shaped wooden bases with the edges protected by metal plates. These elements ...
Metal, Other
Vintage Art Deco Vanity Set, circa 1930s
Located in Chicago, IL
This charming set of brushes and jars was once used by a well-to-do lady to store her cosmetics and maintain an elegant updo hairstyle. Also known as a toilet service...
Silver, Enamel
$753Sale Price|20% Off
H 3.94 in W 11.42 in D 3.55 in
Art Deco Bronze Inkwell by Just Andersen, Denmark, 1930s
By Just Andersen
Located in Stockholm, SE
A striking Art Deco bronze inkwell designed by renowned Danish metalsmith Just Andersen, circa 1930s. This minimalist yet bold piece features a stepped, geometric inkwell form integr...
Bronze
Carl Auböck Model #3794 'Aorta' Brass Vase
By Werkstätte Carl Auböck
Located in Chalk Hill, PA
Carl Aubo¨ck Model #3794 'Aorta' Brass Vase. This exceptionally crafted vase by Carl Aubock is a wonderful example of the marriage of form and functionality that has made the Aubock ...
Brass
Art Deco Uplight Brass Metal Table Lamp, French, 1930s
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
A lovely example of Art Deco that shows great style and imagination is this French table lamp trumpet shape. Cream coloured on the inside and takes a normal bulb, you can use energy ...
Brass
$421
H 2.75 in Dm 3.5 in
Diminutive Vase By Jean Gerbino, Vallauris, France, Ceramic Neriage Terracotta
By Jean Gerbino
Located in Rothley, Leicestershire
Sweet and diminutive vase using the Neriage technique by Jean Gerbino for Vallauris, France Ceramic glazed shaped vase, with mosaic patterning and terracotta accents Circa 1960's Sig...
Ceramic
$272Sale Price|20% Off
H 5.71 in W 3.04 in D 3.04 in
Vintage French Ceramic Vase by Raymonde Leduc 'circa 1970s', Small
By Raymonde Leduc
Located in London, GB
Vintage ceramic vase (or pencil holder if you prefer) by Raymonde Leduc (circa 1970s). Sandstone coloured small vessel with plant motifs inlaid on all four sides. In good overall con...
Ceramic
Italian Murano Vase by Alessandro Mandruzzato
By Alessandro Mandruzzato
Located in New York, NY
A very beautiful Italian Murano smoked grey charcoal faceted art glass vase by Alessandro Mandruzzato for Sommerso, circa mid to late-20th century, Italy. Beautiful at any angle. Dim...
Art Glass, Murano Glass
Sold
H 8.5 in W 4.5 in D 4.75 in
Art Deco Copper & Brass Cat Door Stop by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co.
By Walter Von Nessen, Chase and Co.
Located in San Diego, CA
A very nice and hard to find Art Deco brass and copper cat door stop by Walter Von Nessen for Chase & Co., circa 1930s. The piece is in original condition with a fine patina, some li...
Brass, Copper
Sold
H 5 in W 4.25 in L 5 in
Pair of Art Deco Machine Age Copper Scroll Form Book Ends by Walter Von Nessen
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
This elegant pair of Art Deco machine age scroll form bookends were designed by the celebrated luminary Walter Von Nessen and realized in the United States, circa 1950. With their cl...
Copper
Sold
H 4.5 in W 3 in D 4.25 in
Art Deco Machine Age Copper & Brass Bookends by Walter Von Nessen for Chase Co
By Chase and Co., Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
This streamlined pair of bookends was designed by Walter Von Nessen for the Chase Company, circa 1930. Von Nessen was an influential designer who began his American career in the 192...
Brass, Copper
Walter Von Nessen Figural Bookends in Brass and Bakelite
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in Astoria, NY
These streamlined Art Deco brass bookends, produced, circa 1940s, designed by Walter Von Nessen, depict figures of soldiers, detailed in black ...
Brass
Pair of Machine Age Art Deco Bookends by Walter Von Nessen
By Walter Von Nessen
Located in New York, NY
These Art Deco bookends feature two concentric rings of chrome and copper with sphere accents. These bookends really exemplify the Machine Ages influence on Art Deco in America.