Pair of ormolu mounted faience Chinoiserie oil lamps

This pair of oil lamps is a superb example of late 19^th Century French Chinoiserie style decorative art. The pair is wrought from ormolu (gilt bronze), faience, and glass. The faience is attributed to Longwy, while the glass is by Cristallerie de Pantin—one glass tube features the Pantin label.

Each lamp features a beautifully formed faience body, the surface of which is profusely adorned with intricately interlaced floral decoration—the inspiration for which is drawn from Chinese porcelain. The colour scheme of the faience is vibrant: bright blue, cream-white, and subtle yellow motifs are set above the wonderful red ground, all of which glistens with faience’s brilliant luminescence. Each lamp is raised upon a four-foot, ornately shaped ormolu base, and is topped by ormolu and gilt metal lamp fixtures. Above each lamp fixture sits a glass tube and the distinctive globe-form shade, the convexity of which visually complements the concavity of the faience body below.