Pair of 1960s Soviet Wall Lights
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Description:
A pair of vintage 1960s steel & glass Soviet wall lamps. The lights were produced by the Preciosa company in or around the town of Kamenický Šenov in the most Northerly part of the Czech Republic, near its trijunction with Germany and Poland.
Essentially, Preciosa was the name given to the entity created following the Soviet Union’s nationalisation of approximately 25 Bohemian crystal firms in the Liberec Region from 1945.
The history of glassmaking in this area is incredibly rich, dating back to the 14th century. However, the first factory to specialise in the manufacture of crystal lighting, which the region remains known for today, was established in 1724. The palaces of Louis XV, Sultan Osman III and Empress Elizabeth of Russia all contained examples of crystal chandeliers from Bohemia.
The identical pair of lights are rectangular in shape. Their box like forms are achieved by assembling eight square plates of pressed glass. Each section of glass is held to the ones it neighbours by a small chrome-plated steel clamp. The proportions of the white-metal clamps echo the overall shape of the lamp itself. The design pressed into each square of glass is a stylised, perhaps Brutalist, interpretation of a sunburst.
Central to the design is a three-dimensional eight-pointed star. Numerous radial lines are within this octagram which adds to motifs intricacy.
Many Other concentric stars sit around the central star however the radial lines within the diverging bands are less concentrated. Although the materials and purely geometric shapes within this design are undeniably severe the way in which light emanates from them is wonderfully mellow.
Specifications:
Height: 25 cm
Width: 13.5 cm
Depth: 13.5 cm
Materials: Glass, chrome-plated steel
Date of Design: 1960s
Date of Manufacture: 1960s
Maker: Preciosa
Country of Origin: Former Czechoslovakia