Pair of Sconces by Boris Lacroix

Boris Lacroix was a French architect and interior designer famous for his seminal contributions to Art Deco, particularly his lamps and light fixture designs created during the 1950s. Lacroix’s work is most renowned for its sensitive and precise configurations of glass and metal in the fashioning of chandeliers, sconces and table lamps. He is also known for being an important artistic director for the fashion house Vionnet from the mid-1920s up until towards the end of the 1930s. He was one of the pioneers of modern lighting in his design of geometric forms and his development of specifically manufactured acrylic fixtures. In 1927, Lacroix exhibited his designs at the Salon des Artistes Décorateurs as well as the Salon d’Automne to great critical success. The seamlessness of his design and quality of production was greatly appreciated. Particularly because Lacroix’s materials were also glass and metal, the way his pieces slotted into place was a feat in modern design and manufacturing. Lacroix left Vionnet in 1937 to begin his practice. After World War II, Lacroix re-established his practice and in 1950, launched his Dog Lamp design to huge success. This marked a turning point in his career as his designs attracted an enormous degree of popular attention from this point onwards. Throughout the 1950s, he launched several seminal and popular designs such as Lamp 315, which is still popular today. Lacroix died in Paris in 1984, aged 82.

Since its establishment in 1860, the Maison Baguès has been an emblem of French sophistication in luxury lighting design. Each piece the firm makes is hand-assembled using traditional techniques in order to emphasize the elegance and excellence of their detailed artisanal work. Still the epitome of savoir-faire, Maison Baguès’ luxurious pieces are prized for their craftsmanship, beauty and harmony.

The master metalsmith Noël Baguès founded the company as specialists in liturgical bronzes, but by 1880 the company had expanded into the production of bronze light fixtures in response to the development of electrical lighting. Carried on by Noël’s son Eugène and grandsons Victor and Robert, Maison Baguès continued to progress, adding intricately detailed iron lighting collections in the 1920s as well as stair banisters, gates and accessory tables. 

Baguès began selling internationally in the interwar period, expanding the company’s operation to New York, Rome and Cairo. Noted for their high-end handcrafted work, such as complex carved sconces and hand-strung crystal chandeliers, Maison Baguès appealed to an elite clientele. While Baguès’ Art Deco crystal lighting fixtures drew the most attention, the company was also known for bespoke metalwork that drew commissions from important interior designers and decorating firms such as Maison Jansen and Raymond Subes. The idiosyncratic genius Armand-Albert Rateau used Maison Baguès accessories to decorate the interiors of Jeanne Lanvin’s town home in 1928. Maison Baguès products have also been featured in luxury hotels like Paris's George V and the Savoy in London.

Today, Maison Baguès continues its history of delicate, detailed work and devotes much of its enterprise to preserving the company’s heritage through restoration. Their efforts are worth it. As you will see on 1stDibs, Maison Baguès remains the last word in classic French lighting and metalwork.