A Shagreen and Palmwood Standard Lamp

A rare Art Deco standard lamp in stained shagreen and palmwood taking the form of a column with a shagreen capital, flanked by asymmetric tapering shagreen panels. The whole is supported on a square platform enriched with triangular panels of palmwood and shagreen.

Shagreen underwent something of a renaissance during the Art Deco period. Originally it became popular in Europe during the eighteenth century, being used to cover small objects such as caskets or prestigious scientific instruments. Due to the expense and relative scarcity of the material it was rarely used for anything larger, until around 1925. The Art Deco style placed great emphasis on surface decoration employing myriad exotic materials, as is the case here. An uplighter decked in a combination of shagreen and palmwood is an essay in extravagance, representative of the style and period.

Height of base: 5ft (152cm)