A highly decorative Dutch Amsterdam School table lamp by De Nieuwe Honsel, dating from the 1920s.
The pointed shade is constructed from curved stained-glass panels held within a dark leaded framework. Its elongated form has an architectural quality, with the vertical ribs rising toward a small sculptural finial.
The decoration is particularly striking. Angular, almost crystalline motifs in orange, purple, turquoise, white and smoky grey are arranged in a repeating geometric composition. When unlit, the colours remain cool and graphic; once illuminated, the glass transforms into a warmer palette with amber, coral and glowing red. The strong black outlines give the pattern depth and rhythm.
The shade rests on a substantial circular base of solid oak, stained black and raised on three ball-shaped feet. The dark wood provides a restrained counterpoint to the vivid glass and gives the lamp a wonderfully sculptural silhouette.
Compact yet full of presence, it is an ideal Dutch Art Deco accent for a console, cabinet, bedside table or atmospheric corner of an interior.
The lamp has been professionally rewired and is in good working order. It takes one bayonet-fitting bulb (included).
Background information: De Nieuwe Honsel
De Nieuwe Honsel was one of the most distinctive Dutch decorative-glass workshops of the period. The atelier became known for its so-called Pyrochrome glass, in which glass was painted, fired and shaped into expressive decorative forms.
During the early 1920s, under the influence of the Amsterdam School, the workshop moved away from naturalistic ornament towards a more abstract language of vivid colour, strong contrasts, curling lines and geometric forms. Its work occupies a distinctive place within Dutch interior design of the period, where glass, structure and illumination were conceived as a single atmospheric composition.
The work of De Nieuwe Honsel is discussed within the broader context of Dutch decorative arts in Living in the Amsterdam School: Designs for the Interior 1910–1930 by Ingeborg de Roode and Marjan Groot.
Dimensions:
Height: 29 cm / 11.4 in
Width: 18 cm / 7.1 in
Creator
Manufacturer
De Nieuwe Honsel glass atelier
Design Period
1920 to 1929
Production Period
1920 to 1929
Country of Manufacture
Netherlands
Identifying Marks
Style
Art Deco, Arts & Crafts, Amsterdam School, antique, 1920s
