ART NOUVEAU GILT BRONZE FIGURAL LAMP BY LÉO LAPORTE-BLAIRSY (FRENCH, 1865-1923)
In gold patina over rouge marble base, signed on edge, numbered 58836 & 2
Item # 810SGP16Q 

A very rare figural lamp by Léo Laporte-Blairsy, it depicts a mustached man in long robes carrying a Gothic lantern on post with his head held high.  Tiny pieces of cut glass in iron astragals make up the three colored panels of the lantern, this accessible by raising the lid over a wire hinge to see the lightbulb within.  The chiseling and finishing of the bronze is of self-evident excellence, the silky smooth surface finished in an even gold patina.  It is raised over an original rouge marble base and is signed in the cast "Léo Laporte Blairsy" and numbered along the back edge 58836 and 2.  While his works regularly achieve well into the five-figures, the present lamp is priced very attractively due to its replaced lantern element (more visible when viewed at eye level).  While all of his works are rightly considered rare, only infrequently found on the open market, the present example is exceedingly uncommon.

Literature & Further Reading:

• The Dictionary of Western Sculptors in Bronze, James Mackay, 1977, p. 223
• Bronzes of the Nineteenth Century: Dictionary of Sculptors, Pierre Kjellberg, 1994, p. 406
• Art Nouveau and Art Deco Lighting, Alastair Duncan, 1978, p. 80-81

Measurements: 12 1/2” H x 7” W x 4 1/4” D

Condition Report:
Lamp post has a replaced brass lighting element, visible beneath the underside of the lantern. Minor chips to rouge marble base. The wiring has been replaced, but the original cloth cord and elements have been retained.