20th Century Jugendstil Cold-Painted Bronze Elephant Rider Table Lamp, Germany

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Early 20th century Jugendstil cold-painted bronze elephant rider table lamp, Germany

By: Franz Bergmann (in the style of), Nam Greb … Read more Early 20th century Jugendstil cold-painted bronze elephant rider table lamp, Germany

By: Franz Bergmann (in the style of), Nam Greb (in the style of)
Material: bronze, copper, tin, metal, paint
Technique: cast, molded, patinated, metalwork, painted, hand-painted, cold-painted
Dimensions: 6.75 in x 4.75 in x 14.5 in
Date: early 20th century
Style: Jugendstil, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, Belle Époque
Place of origin: Germany

A cold-painted bronze table lamp from early 20th century Germany displaying the decorative sensibilities of the Jugendstil movement through its striking elephant and rider composition. The piece features a mahout figure seated atop an ornately caparisoned elephant, its howdah adorned with elaborate geometric patterns and fringe details that demonstrate skilled metalwork. Rising from this base, a slender stem supports a palm frond shade, its leaves gracefully arching to create an exotic silhouette. The cold-painting technique reveals itself in the polychrome surface, where bronze, copper, and gold tones highlight the intricate details of the elephant's trappings and the decorative panels. The lamp bears the mark of its German origin on the underside of its textured base.

Created in the manner of Franz Bergmann, whose foundry produced similar Orientalist subjects, this lamp reflects the period's fascination with Eastern imagery while embodying the organic forms characteristic of Jugendstil design. See less