Bridge Lamp, c. 1923

Bronze with chemical patina; An applied tag on the bottom of the base bears the stamped inscription Oscar B. Bach / New York / Studios Inc with a central image of a female profile flanked on each side by a stamped B.

62 1/2 x 11 7/8 inches

A round platform of six stepped and slightly serpentine panels supports a smaller base that is a disc with gadrooned edge and central trumpet incised with vertical lines and a lower scalloped edge. The standard has top and bottom passages of rope-twist ornament, and a central suppressed ball with ascending and descending acanthus foliage. Surmounting the standard is a beehive terminal that supports a ratchet mechanism that can be adjusted with a rosette-shaped knob. This pivots an S-scroll arm that encloses a prominent Peacock head with incised details at the pivot end, and encloses a cluster of grapes at the other end. The smaller end of the scrolling arm suspends a bulb socket shaped like an inverted flower pot, adjustable by a small rosette-knobbed ratchet mechanism. The base and arm are copper alloy with an almost transparent patina. The standard is white metal with a gold patina that is abraded to allow an interplay of gray and gold.

Photo by Lee Brauer©