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Gabriel Argy-Rousseau Pâte de Verre "Fleurs Tropicales" Table Lamp

$39,500
Argy-Rousseau's near-unique ability to gracefully soften the starkness of Art Deco design without ever sacrificing the strength of the design is on full display in this remarkable, petite masterpiece. His Fleurs Tropicales design combines the ruby petals of a Japanese pompom chrysanthemum and the cascading pistils of a hibiscus. The background is composed of a warm amber streaked with purple powdered glass. The shade sits in a conforming dish and is raised on a tall stemmed wrought iron stand, creating the illusion of a blossoming flower emerging from the soil. The base's lower section is intricately adorned with radiating patterns, evoking the image of roots breaking through the earth's surface. In the Edo period, the chrysanthemum was one of the most popular motifs for porcelains exported to Europe. Coinciding with the fall of the Qing dynasty, both Chinese and Japanese flower motifs trickled into Art Deco Design, most prominently appearing in the haute couture dresses of Paul Poiret.

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  • Product Details
  • Curator's Notes

Item #: YEL-21234
Artist: Gabriel Argy-Rousseau
Country: France
Circa: 1925
Dimensions: 12.6" height, 3.25" diameter.
Materials: Pâte de verre, translucent glass, Wrought Iron
Signed: base impressed “G. Argy-Rousseau”, shade impressed “G. Argy-Rousseau”and “France”
Literature: Bloch-Dermant Janine Gabriel Argy-Rousseau and Yves Delaborde. 1991. G. Argy-Rousseau : Glassware As Art : With a Catalogue Raisonné of the Pâtes De Verre. London: Thames and Hudson. p.207

The shape of this nightlight was based on Egyptian head cones, perfumed cones of beeswax originally believed to slowly melt and perfume the hair of elite Egyptian women. Argy Rousseau was fascinated with ancient Egyptian aesthetics and the history of perfume. Early in his career, Argy Rousseau designed perfume bottles for Maison Franck. Additionally, he marketed many of his night lights as perfume-burning night lights. Combining historical references and florals epitomized the modernity of Art Deco design, pushing pastiche ornament into the realm of geometric abstraction.
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