An Impressive James Mont Lamp
About the Item
- Creator:James Mont (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 39 in (99.06 cm)Width: 15 in (38.1 cm)Depth: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950's
- Condition:very good original condition, original shade recovered in green silk.
- Seller Location:St.Petersburg, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU80291119686
James Mont
James Mont’s life as an unmistakably talented furniture designer and interior decorator could fill the pages of a best-selling novel or be reimagined as a Hollywood feature film. From the 1930s through the 1960s, Tinseltown’s glitterati and Manhattan’s Mafia underworld coveted his sofas, coffee tables and table lamps.
Mont was born Demetrios Pecintoglu in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1904 to a family of artists. He reportedly studied architecture and art in Spain and France, and during the 1920s, Mont immigrated with his family to the United States.
Mont and his family settled in New York, where he found work in a Brooklyn electrical supply shop. There he sold hardware and designed his own lighting fixtures. The latter caught the eye of a gangster named Frankie Yale, who commissioned him to refurnish his house. Mont’s opulent designs drew on Art Deco, Hollywood Regency and were occasionally marked by chinoiserie, then a very popular trend in decorating. He created the kind of low-profile side tables and sofas that are frequently associated with mid-century modernism, and he is credited today with helping popularize the integration of Asian influences in modern American design.
Mont soon attracted New York City’s most infamous crime bosses, including Charles “Lucky” Luciano and Frank Costello. For a range of mobsters, he created fashionable, functional and sophisticated pieces such as collapsible home bars that would fold down and out of view — a particularly convenient feature during Prohibition — and tables and desks with secret drawers, which were also handy to Mont’s shady clientele.
“You bought a bar from him, and he would also deliver booze in a baby carriage,” antiques dealer and furniture retailer Todd Merrill told New York about Mont in 2008.
Mont designed a room for the World’s Fair in 1939 and later befriended Hollywood celebrities such as Bob Hope, who was best man at his wedding, Irving Berlin and Lana Turner. During the 1940s and ‘50s, Mont continued designing furniture, mastering finishing techniques such as lacquering and incorporating a distinctive “leafing” print effect with silver and gold into his pieces.
Mont’s designs enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s, and his pieces continue to be sought after by collectors.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage James Mont sideboards, tables and storage cabinets.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: St.Petersburg, FL
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- A James Mont Gold Leaf Decorated LampBy James MontLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA beautiful table lamp by James Mont, in gold leaf (with green underlayer). Simple architectural form.Category
Vintage 1950s American Table Lamps
- Pair of Gilded Wood Lamps by James MontBy James MontLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA great pair of gold leaf over wood Classic lamps by James Mont.Category
Vintage 1940s American Table Lamps
MaterialsWood
- Classic James Mont Tall Back ChairBy James MontLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA classic James Mont tall back chair, ca' 1950's. Lacquered frame with velvet upholstery.Category
Vintage 1950s American Hollywood Regency Chairs
MaterialsMahogany
- Rare James Mont Upholstered Lounge ChairBy James MontLocated in St.Petersburg, FLA rare James Mont lounge chair with curved arms. Another one available to make a pair.Category
Vintage 1950s American Modern Lounge Chairs
- Original James Mont Cabinet in Asian StyleBy James MontLocated in St.Petersburg, FLRare cabinet by James Mont in chinoiserie style. Original black lacquer and red painted interior. Original gilded wood handles.Category
Vintage 1950s North American Chinoiserie Cabinets
MaterialsMahogany
- James Mont Occasional Pedestal Table Black LaquerBy James MontLocated in St.Petersburg, FLAn original James Mont, signed table in black lacquer, ca' 1950's. Very heavy, looks like a sculpture.Category
Vintage 1950s American Hollywood Regency End Tables
MaterialsWood
- James Mont LampBy James MontLocated in West Palm Beach, FLLarge scale table lamp. Carved and gilt surface. Period shade.Category
Vintage 1950s American Table Lamps
MaterialsWood
- James Mont Gold Buddha LampBy James MontLocated in New York, NYJames Mont gold Buddha lamp the pieces are molded plaster with an antiqued, gold finish. And have polished brass hardware. Measures: 29" top socket b...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsPlaster
- Midcentury James Mont Table LampBy James MontLocated in New York, NYThis James Mont table lamp is comprised of a cast bronze body with wood base and top. It was made in the Mid-20th Century. Like Mont's other eccentric designs, the lamp brings togeth...Category
Mid-20th Century Table Lamps
MaterialsBronze
- Pair of James Mont LampsBy James MontLocated in New York, NYPair of column lamps by James Mont. The lamps have a beautiful decorative design with a glazed silver leaf finish. They have been newly rewired for the US with polished nickel doub...Category
Vintage 1950s American Table Lamps
MaterialsSilver Leaf
- Pair of 1950s James Mont LampsBy James MontLocated in New York, NYWonderful pair of 1950s hand carved Chinese figurine lamps by James Mont. The cinnabar lamp bases and figurines are decorated with gold leaf. ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsWood
- Pair of James Mont Style LampsBy James MontLocated in New York, NYPair of James Mont style lamps. The lamps have patinated green metal body with wood base and a brass decorative trim. Shades not included. M...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Brass