The Lamp With A Ladys' Head

ART DECO DELIGHT

No longer available .....
My heart skipped a beat when my eyes fell upon this devine creature. A lamp no less but she had surely ensnared me (much to my husbands bemusement).

My plan was to firstly identify her and secondly to sell her ... BUT her identidy has elluded me thus far. The design is reminiscent of Lalique's car mascot "Victoire" [below left] which is a male ... and this is obviously not, and is portrayed with an open mouth ... which she has not. On the other hand she also resembles the "Goddess of Speed" [below right], who is female (tick) and has a closed mouth (tick), yet her hair is often depicted with waving locks and not straightened plumes as my beauty.

LALIQUE'S "VICTOIRE" as seen on 1st Dibs ( https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/decorative-objects/sculptures/victoire-car-mascot/id-f_1906142/ )

"GODDESS OF SPEED" as seen on Finesse Fine Art

http://www.finesse-fine-art.com/Mascots/Mascot049.htm

Markings which would identify her have been lost or so well hidden I have not been able to find them. But she is chalkware/plaster of Paris which was use since early 19th century/1800s to the mid-20th century/1950s which was the heyday of the material though very few original pieces exist without chips and damage. Chalkware can often look old and scruffy if exception care is not taken in its' storage; because it is so fragile, chalkware should not be cleaned as most glazes were water based.(www.collectorsweekly.com is a great source of info)

She is also an electric lamp with her original metal fittings, although the plug has been replaced and the lead shortened at some stage of her life. Electric lamps first started popping up during the Victorian era, 1840s to early 1900s, coexisting with candles and oil lamps alike, though she is clearly of the Art Deco period. But which one???????

1920s-1939, 1950s or 1980s? 


There really have been two periods even though we break them into three. The first period fizzled and waned during WWII as the use of coloured ink, paints and glazes where restricted to the war efforts. Others surmised it was mostly due to people feeling amiss to bring such bright cheerful pieces into their lives when so much destruction and saddness surrounded them. Only after the WWII was there a resurgence for art decos more colourfully decorated pieces to lighten their spirits, and so the first art deco period once again picked up and continued on with a newly revived 50s flavour.

I have spotted the same piece in a highly glossed pink from the 80s and believe it was so, and a replica at that. Many beautiful pieces were replicated from the 1st deco period during the 2nd but were ceramic and of a poorer quality than the originals as appetites for anything deco beame insatiable. So, good-bye 1980s. 
I have also spotted the same piece in a highly glossed black from the 50s and believe it too, was a replica as TV lamps existanced for only approximately 10 years, to sooth peoples' fear of ruining their eyesight by watching TV in the dark. TV lamps were designed to cast an aura of light around the TV ... and she does not ... good-bye 1950s.

During the 1920s & 1930s decor lamps were produced for mood lighting as opposed to lighting the room, often eluminating only the lamp or a smallish area  (tick). Statued, shadeless lamps were also an ellaborate expense for mood-setting (tick), no shades to clutter an area, just clean lines and sleek forms (tick).

So as you can well guess, I believe she is an origianl Art Deco piece from 1925+  and her finest attributes lean heavily towards being the "Goddess Of Speed" .  Great care has been taken to care for her molded form which cast into a very desirable piece of an exception condition; but until I find proof, this beauty will remain a mystery.