Ref. 1803/2

 E. Lachenal

Ceramist
(1855-1948)

(Attributed to)

Oriental style chandelier

France
Circa 1890

Ceramic, Bronze, Brass

Height : 70 cm (27,5 in.) ; Diameter : 30 cm (11,8 in.)

Enameled ceramic chandelier with flared border underlined by a frieze of stylized foliage, decorated on the body with Arabic characters on a light blue background, alternating with tracery cartouches on a dark blue background, and white and blue interlacing on the underside which ends in a point. Illuminating with one light, it is suspended by three chains with diamond-shaped links in patinated bronze ending in brass-plated spheres.

Biography

Edmond Lachenal (1855–1948) was a French potter. He was trained in Theodore Deck’s studio, starting when he was 15. At the 1873 World’s Fair in Vienna, Lachenal’s work as a decorator for Deck received an Honorable Mention. Following this award, he became director of Deck’s decoration atelier. In 1889, he received his first gold medal at the World’s Fair in Paris for his work with faience wares in the style of Theodore Deck. These works used bright, polychrome glazes, a feature of his work that would remain constant throughout his career. By 1894, Lachenal begun casting sculptors’ work in stoneware with mat glazes. The best known of his collaborations was with the Swedish-born sculptor Agnès de Frumerie (1869–1937). She produced Symbolist figurative sculptures and decorations for the vases. Their collaboration continued until at least 1907. Lachenal also produced faience editions of vases by Hector Guimard in the same organic style as the Paris Metro entrances in 1902.