Large Orientalist cold-painted bronze lamp with minaret by Bergman

This cold-painted bronze lamp is superbly cast, bringing life to this minaret scene.

The lamp is sculpted as a tall minaret, rendered in eye-catching gold tones that evoke a sense of luxury.  The minaret is filled with superb detailing – from the spiralled fluting to the geometric windowpanes. The lower half of the tower is shaded by a green canopy, and the artist’s rendering of the drapes in the fabric is particularly impressive. The tower stands on a brick base with steps leading up to the building, covered with a typical Persian-style rug.

Two figures can be seen shading beneath the canopy. The standing figure is a muezzin (the official who proclaims the call to prayer), who can be seen calling people inside the mosque to pray as he holds open the netted curtain entrance. Beside him, a seated figure can be seen smoking from a pipe. The figures are dressed in a typical Orientalist fashion, with brightly coloured robes and turbans.

The base of the lamp features the Bergman foundry mark of a ‘B’ within an urn-shaped cartouche, a ‘MADE IN AUSTRIA’ stamp, and a facsimile signature ‘?eng’. Franz Xaver Bergman (1861-1936) is regarded as one of the forefathers of the complex cold-painted bronze technique.

With its charming composition and bright colours, this lamp would be a fine addition to any collection of Orientalist antiques.