L.083

A French figural lamp with a signed female figure in pure Art Nouveau, produced around 1900-1910. High-quality construction with a sculpture on a marble base and a glass font on a curved, stylized flower stem.

This figural lamp impresses with its very pleasing design in the French Art Nouveau style. Here too - similar to the lamp L.290 - the figure does not hold the font in its hand. The sculptured young woman holds a fully open iris flower in her hand and is apparently enjoying it with her eyes closed. To add to her fairy appearance, she wears a dress that does not cover her breasts. The French sculptor of the figure is called Claude Bonnefond, who probably designed many Art Nouveau objects around 1900. I could not find any further life data about this sculptor. In any case, he should not be confused with Jean Claude Bonnefond, a well-known French painter who was active in the early 19th century.

The dress of the female figure grows out of the base as an organic structure. Behind the figure, a plant stem snakes up to a small, open blossom into which the glass font is screwed. Together with this plant stem, the female figure mutates itself into a flower, to which the title of the lamp, the Iris Flower, understandably contributes. A two-tone patina has also been selected here: the dress is greenish, while the skin shimmers dark golden-brown. The patina colour has rubbed off in a few places.

I was able to bid for a perfectly matching tulip shade for this lamp. The tulip with its calyx shape and stylized painted iris flowers is, in my opinion, a very successful addition to this "flowery" lamp.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Burner, chimney, tulip shade, globe holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
The little finger of the left hand was broken and was supplemented with modelling clay. Lamp cleaned only carefully so as not to disturb the original patina finish.

Lamp body:
Profiled base made of red marble, Ø 151 mm. A small brass badge on the base bears the title: L'Iris (= The Iris).
Beautifully modelled, fine cast sculpture made of zinc, patinated in two colours, signed: C. Bonnefond (= Claude Bonnefond, French sculptor around 1900, not to confound with Jean-Claude Bonnefond, French painter of early 19th century). The sculptured young woman holds an iris blossom in her left hand. A curved flower stem grows behind the figure and carries the glass font at the top.
Clear crystal glass font of Baccarat with two rows of olive cuts, Ø 141 mm. Font can be unscrewed.

Burner:
14’’’ Kosmos burner of Hugo Schneider, Leipzig.
Wick knob marked: HS + gear with wings.
Flat wick 67 mm.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Kosmos chimney. Height 262 mm, Ø fitter 53 mm.
Marked: Bohemia - Marque deposée - Importé de Tchecoslovaquie + picture of sowing farmer with rising sun in background.

Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade in shape of a flower bud, colourless frosted glass, painted iris flowers in Art Nouveau style, scalloped top rim.
Height 211 mm, Ø fitter 66 and top rim 113 mm.
70 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 57.0 cm, total height with chimney 87.1 cm.
Total weight 4580 g.