Vintage Japanese Satsuma-Style Moriage Elephant Pagoda Lamp With Shade

Details

Description

A rare and exceptionally well-preserved Japanese porcelain table lamp, circa 1930s–1950s, modeled as an auspicious elephant carrying an architectural pagoda-form … Read more A rare and exceptionally well-preserved Japanese porcelain table lamp, circa 1930s–1950s, modeled as an auspicious elephant carrying an architectural pagoda-form lantern upon its back.

The sculptural elephant is decorated in a particularly vibrant emerald-green glaze with a raised trunk, ivory-colored tusks, softly shaded ears, gilt linework and dimensional white moriage accents. Its elaborate cobalt-blue saddlecloth is framed in black and gold and embellished with raised floral decoration. Above, the pagoda is hand-painted in alternating pale blue and lavender panels beneath a coral-red roof, with additional gilt and raised-enamel detailing.

Related examples of this distinctive elephant-and-pagoda form have been cataloged as Japanese Satsuma-style porcelain from the 1930s. This example is especially notable for its uncommon jewel-toned palette, exceptional decorative preservation and beautifully coordinated shade.

The lamp is accompanied by a finely constructed square bell-form shade with a deep black exterior, bound edges and luminous metallic-gold interior. The reflective lining creates a warm, dramatic glow while complementing the lamp’s gilt decoration. The shade is fitted with a substantial double-wire bulb clip.

Finished with a black porcelain plinth and a brass-tone Leviton rotary socket marked “Made in U.S.A.” Remnants of a former red factory or export stamp remain visible on the glazed underside, although the original wording is no longer legible.

A distinctive statement lamp for a chinoiserie, traditional maximalist, Hollywood Regency, Palm Beach, grandmillennial or collected English country interior. Its compact sculptural scale is particularly well suited to a console, writing desk, bedside table, bar cabinet or layered bookshelf vignette.

DIMENSIONS

Approximately 13.75 in. H, including lamp shade
4 inches wide x 2.5 inches in depth See less