Art Deco Table Lamps by Paul Maitland-Smith for Maitland Smith, 1980s, Set of 2

Details

Description

S fine Pair of Postmodern Art Deco Revival Table Lamps

This pair of sculptural table lamps represents the high-end Postmodern … Read more S fine Pair of Postmodern Art Deco Revival Table Lamps

This pair of sculptural table lamps represents the high-end Postmodern Art Deco Revival style from the 1970s–1980s.

Departing from the more common, ornate Baroque trends of the era, these lamps showcase a clean, geometric silhouette heavily inspired by early 20th-century French Art Deco torchères.

Material Composition and Technical Specifications.

Illuminated Shades:

Composed of hand-cut, 3-to-4 mm thick tessellated segments of translucent cream Alabaster. The natural clouds and veins absorb and diffuse light to emit a warm, organic glow.

Structural Accents:

Stylized, sharp chevron teeth crafted from tessellated green marble, sharply contrasting with the cream Alabaster.

Internal Construction:

Built using a molded, heat-resistant fiberglass core. The stone segments are cemented onto this framework using a structural marble-resin filler paste, which remains visible on the unfinished interior.

Metalwork:

Solid, warm-toned brass central collars and integrated vertical inlay strips.

The Base: A tapered plinth featuring a distinctive border of vertical coconut shell (palm wood) segments, seamlessly embedded and high-polished in a clear protective casting resin.

Oeuvre Context and Material Affiliations:

While this exact model remains unlisted in standard manufacturer archives, its material footprint shares a direct technological fingerprint with the premier design ateliers of the late 20th century of Paul Maitland-Smith.

Maitland-Smith Core Techniques:

The reliance on a fiberglass matrix to support 3-4 mm stone tesserae, combined with the signature incorporation of localized Philippine organic materials—specifically polished coconut shell in resin—aligns precisely with the artisan manufacturing processes pioneered by Maitland-Smith during this period.

The Architectural Departure: Unlike the widely documented, heavily stylized animal or botanical motifs common to the mainstream Maitland-Smith catalog, the form language of these lamps is strictly architectural. The design mirrors the rarer, geometric torchère uplighters found within the brand's late-century archives.

Summary of Status:

These lamps stand as an exceptional, undocumented example of premium postmodern lighting craftsmanship. They merge the rigorous symmetry of Art Deco revivalism with the complex, labor-intensive material mixing characteristic of top-tier 1980s design of Paul Maitland-Smith. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution,
European Plug (up to 250V).The wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise. See less