Louis Majorelle

Private Collection of Lillian Nassau, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2003

Chantal Bizot and Edith Mannoni, Mobilier 1900-1925, Paris, 1977, p. 27
Alastair Duncan, Art Nouveau and Art Deco Lighting, New York, 1978,  xvi
Wolf Uecker, Lampen und Leuchter:  Art Nouveau, Art Déco, Herrsching am Ammersee, Germany, 1978, p. 129
Noël Daum, Daum: Maîtres Verriers, Lausanne, 1980, p. 142
Roselyne Bouvier, Majorelle:  Une Aventure Moderne, Paris, 1991, front cover and p. 189
Christian Debize, Émile Gallé & l'École de Nancy, Metz, 1998, pp. 74-75 (for the model shown in a period catalogue and for example of the "Magnolia" table lamp in the collection of Musée de l'École de Nancy)
Alastair Duncan, Louis Majorelle: Master of Art Nouveau Design, London, 1991, pl. 132 (for a related example in patinated bronze) and  pp. 149, 168-169, 173, and 214 (for the model shown in a period catalogue and other period photographs)
Paul Greenhalgh, ed., Art Nouveau: 1890-1914, London, 2000, p. 61
Roselyne Bouvier et al., Musée de l'École de Nancy, Paris, 2001, p. 51

Overall in very good condition. The gilt bronze base shows gentle wear, light surface scratches and small areas of soiling and discoloration (the latter reserved to recessed areas). The hand-carved glass shades, which are a beautifully well-matched group, with a few very light surface scratches to the exterior. The middle shade with two very small and shallow surface flecks adjacent to the top rim. As is commonly seen with this model, the grautin which affixes the glass shades to the gilt bronze hardware has been sensitively restored. The lamp is currently fitted with an electrical plug for use in the United States. A superb example of this important and iconic Art Nouveau design, with beautiful color and luminosity to the exquisitely hand-carved shades.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Louis Majorelle, a leading member of the École de Nancy and proponent of the Art Nouveau style, forged an important collaboration in the early 1890s with Daum glassworks to produce lighting fixtures after botanical motifs. This commercial venture, which ultimately spanned the course of three decades, resulted in some of the most spectacular and iconic expressions of the Art Nouveau style. The inspiration for Majorelle's lamps designs came from numerous indigenous plants. The bases, composed of bronze or wrought-iron, were naturalistically sculpted in the form of slender stems or branches to support a variety of floriform glass shades. Electric wires were conspicuously concealed within the hollow-cast bases to avoid any interruption with the naturalistic designs.

An illustration in the firm's sales catalogue promotes electric table lamps fitted with different floriform glass shades supplied by Daum, including a water lily, dandelion, pitcher plant and magnolia. Majorelle exhibited these lamps as both individual statements alongside furniture at the salons, and as integral elements within room ensembles unified by botanical themes. The "magnolia" lamp presently offered is today celebrated as one of the top icons of the Art Nouveau movement and one of Majorelle's most successful lighting designs. The impressive model was designed for the Exposition de l'École de Nancy in 1903, and appears in numerous interiors featured in the firm's sales catalogues.