This Orientalist style, cold-painted bronze lamp was crafted in Vienna in the early 20th century. Vienna was well-known across Europe for its production of bronzes in the 19th and early 20th century. These were often cold-painted, meaning that the item had been cast and allowed to cool, before being hand painted. These bronzes often took the form of small-scale animal models, which were at times strikingly naturalistic, and others cast in human poses, and designed to amuse. Orientalist bronzes, like this piece, were created on a slightly larger scale, and were characterised by their detail, color and expressive sense of movement. These bronzes were exported from Austria to London, Paris and New York, where they were sold as collectables. They continue to be highly sought-after today, by collectors and enthusiasts alike.
This lamp bears the signature of the Austrian sculptor, Anton Chotka. Chotka specialised in the production of bronze Orientalist style sculptures and lamps, like this piece. He was an exceptionally skilled designer, and his work was of a consistently high quality.
While this piece primarily functions as a lamp, it also serves as a lively piece of narrative sculpture. The scene depicts two Middle Eastern men — a merchant, who sits on the right, and customer, who stands on the left. The customer inspects the jewellery that he holds in his hands, which the merchant appears to be trying to convince him to buy. The figures are dressed in long yellow tunics and red turbans, and they stand on a colourful, handwoven rug.
The lamp is formed by several rugs, which are stacked in a tall pile. These create a kind of tent for the merchant to shelter under. Once the lamp is turned on, it glows an atmospheric red colour, since the light shines through the rugs. Various other goods are propped against, or hang from, the rug pile. These include a tall wooden fan...
Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Islamic Table Lamps