Illuminated Bowl Column, circa 1930 (from a pair)

An illuminated column consisting of a plaster column and bowl equipped with internal lighting. Plaster and wood.

Dimensions +/-: total height 181 cm, column height 150 cm, column base 28×28 cm, bowl height 31 cm, bowl width 35 cm.

A column inspired by Roman Tuscan style, without a capital, featuring only a discreet molding at its summit. A slight entasis of the column shaft at one-third of its height lends great elegance to its form.

The body of the illuminated bowl, when considered separately, also features very clean lines, reflecting the spirit of the simple forms found in works by Frank or Giacometti.

Two lateral handles adorned with scrollwork add a touch of dreamlike baroque to the piece, a characteristic found in several lamps or vases by Frank.
Although the molding of the handles is identical, the two sides feature differences; their inverted mounting thus allows for two distinct handles on each face. This whimsical detail demonstrates a desire to depart from classical criteria that prioritize symmetry. (cf. photo below)

The primary inspiration comes from antiquity, specifically the Krater vase from the Medici collection, a Roman marble piece circa 50 to 100 AD, now preserved at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. This piece was widely copied and reinterpreted thereafter, from the Renaissance to the 19^th century, notably with the Medici vase and the Chambord cast iron cup used for park landscaping.

The desired effect was to create an original model of a floor lamp with indirect lighting, one that is both very classical and original, rather than an adaptation of academic antique moldings published by the Louvre Museum or the School of Architecture and Fine Arts for student use.
Indeed, despite our extensive research, we have not found these exact models of column and bowl, though variants exist with notable differences.

Both the square base of the column and the circular base of the bowl are made of wood to protect them from impacts, a feature not present in academic moldings.
These plaster moldings, reinforced with hemp fiber and cast in piece molds, are of high execution quality, crafted by an experienced practitioner. The finishes are meticulously crafted, and the seam lines are invisible from the exterior.