Hollywood Regency Gilt Wheat Sheaf Wall Sconces, Italy, 1990s, Set of 2

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Pair of Italian gilt brass wheat sheaf wall sconces in the Hollywood Regency style. This pair is a later production … Read more Pair of Italian gilt brass wheat sheaf wall sconces in the Hollywood Regency style. This pair is a later production made by Lotti lighting of Sesto Fiorentino, near Florence with original maker’s label suggesting they were made between the late 1990s and the early 2000s. CE certified, they are ready to install.

The sconces belong to the Florentine gilt-tôle tradition. Workshops around Florence, including the well-known house of Banci, made decorative gilded lighting in this manner from the 1950s onward. The same style was popularised in Germany by Hans Kögl. The wheat sheaf has a long history in French neoclassical ornament as a symbol of harvest and abundance. In the 20th century it became closely tied to Coco Chanel, who treated it as her personal emblem of luck and prosperity. Her apartment at 31 rue Cambon held a painting of wheat given to her by Salvador Dalí, and a bronze table on a wheat sheaf base made for her by her goldsmith, Robert Goossens. The motif carried through European decorative arts for decades afterward.

Each sconce has five wheat ears rising above long, curling gold-leafed blades. The stems are gathered at the base and splay out below. Two curved arms sweep up from the bundle to flower-shaped bobeches with drip-style candle sleeves. The silhouette is tall and symmetrical. The antiqued gold-leaf finish has a soft, crackled patina, which shows the modelling of the leaves when the sconces are lit.
Up to 250V (Europe/UK Standard).The wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise. See less