"Swedish Grace" Table Lamp
1920s

Description:

An elegant Swedish table lamp with blackened brass frame and silk screen. With classical motifs throughout, from its columnar base to repeated roundel motifs, this lamp is emblematic of the persistence of neo-classicism in Swedish design during the first part of the 20th century.

Coined, "Swedish Grace", by British commentator, Philip Morton Shand, after visiting the Arts and Crafts Pavillion at the 1923 Gothenburg Exhibition, this aesthetic reflected a distinctly Nordic expression of the growing Art Deco movement. Whilst less streamlined and austere, Swedish Grace fused the geometry of Art Deco with classical and folkloric motifs. 

This national aesthetic went boldly on display at the 1925 Paris Exhibition. A neo-classical temple by Carl Bergsten housed the Swedish Pavilion, itself boasting an opulent interior of furniture by Carl Hörvik.

This table lamp shares much of the sensibilities of this national pavilion, quietly classical with its fluted columnar base, yet decidedly Art Deco with a decadent silk screen, recently restored to its original pearlescent lustre. 

This lamp has been rewired with an antique-style, black, braided cord and a UK standard plug. It is in good vintage condition, with an even patina across the base and stem. 

Dimensions

Height: 47cm

Depth: 35cm

Width: 35cm