Where else but DECORUM can you
choose from a truly fantastic group of lighting bowls, and match
them with the canopy of your choice? These French "pressed
glass" bowls, most of which were made in the 1920's, are
excellent lighting choices for situations where substantial light
is needed and ceiling height is limited. I usually position just
one standard-base socket right in the center of the bowl to light
it evenly (three sockets can also be used if necessary). You
can use a 250-watt bulb in it if you like! Put the fixture on
a wall dimmer and get mood when you want -- the incandescent
bulb at a lower wattage will deliver a warmer light, often giving
a gold glow to the bowl. Crank it all the way up and bring out
the Scrabble board!
Generally these bowls measure about
14 inches in diameter. The depth of the bowl varies between three
and eight inches. In these photos I've rigged the bowls with
pretty short hardware, so most hang between 13 and 16 inches
from the ceiling. That means they qualify for your short, eight-foot
ceiling, leaving you with only slightly less than seven feet
of head room.
Choose your metal finish! Like
brushed nickel best? Chrome suits you? Polished (bright) nickel?
No problem (just time and money). The components are all solid
brass or bronze to begin with so you'll be getting a top-quality
plating job, and there will never be any deterioration due to
rusting or corrosion of the metal. I use brass tubing which is
5/16" square, and it can be cut to whatever length suits
your purposes. I've reproduced the impossible-to-get vintage
canopies in solid bronze -- they're all compelling, original
French Art Deco designs. Here they are (the first example is
shown in brushed nickel, the second in polished nickel, the last
one in bronze, plating and patina yet to be accomplished):
The hardware in the pictures below
has been finished in polished nickel, then patinated so it doesn't
have that "born yesterday" look (that means it has
black in the crevasses, giving it an antique quality). The incandescent
bulb gives a yellow cast to the nickel, something which doesn't
appear to your eye under normal circumstances.
(A) Let's start with a handsome
geometric bowl by Degue. It's 13 3/4 inches across and about
5 inches deep. As shown, it hangs about 14 inches from the ceiling.
Nicely signed Degue in the mold. $1700. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(B) This one's a Schneider, likewise
signed. This pattern is probably the most sought after, design-wise,
of what the French call "pressed glass." It's about
14 inches wide and hangs about that distance as shown. You can't
have it hanging any closer to the ceiling, but I can make it
any length longer you like. $1650. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(C) An unsigned "generic"
design, but just tops in my book. This three-sided geometric
beauty has the sophistocation of a design by Degue. It's deeper
than many bowls, and as shown with this appartus, it hangs about
15 1/2 inches long. This bowl has a very faintly
yellow cast to it. $1200. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(D) This bowl has the vivid, geometric
designs one might associate with Muller glass. $1100. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(E) The scallopped edge and the
unusual depth of this bowl separate it from the ordinary. It
hangs about 16 inches as shown. $1100. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(F) Signed "Verrerie de Vosges,"
this beauty has an organic quality to it, and ample depth. $1100.
(e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(G) Another example of French Art
Deco styling at its finest, also unsigned. $1400. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(H) This pleasing bowl has that
"cornucopia of nature" look so popular with the French.
$950. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(I) Opalescent bowls in the style
of Sabino, Verlys, Ranc and others are extremely rare. This one
has geese pursuing fish, and it's very shallow. This bowl hanging
slightly lower than the ones above, at about 16 inches, with
my reproduction canopy in place and longer tubing. This bowl
is sold, but don't dispair, I have another, quite identical,
signed Verlys. $2200. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(J) A "killer" piece,
one of Degue's most imposing, impressive, and of course rare
-- a three-pointed, massive bowl with geometrical motifs from
another planet. It's about 17 inches across, and with this apparatus
(which can be lengthened or shortened, it measures 15 inches
from the top of the canopy to the bottom of the bowl. Signed
Degue, of course! $2800. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(K) I have a few colored, hand-blown
art glass bowls from the era, as well. This one is signed Muller
Fres, Luneville, and its purple and blue colors are extremely
rare. The glass has a faintly opalescent quality to it, giving
it great depth and a bit of a warm glow when lit. It's the same
size as the pressed glass bowls, about 14 inches across and five
deep. $2300. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(L) Another hanging option for
these bowls is the "cordelier," a (silk?) woven cord
which holds the bowl in place; the electrical wires run through
one cord and have the same fabric cleverly woven around them.
This bowl hangs at about two feet, but I can reduce that to about
18 inches in a pinch. This bowl, with its unusual configuration
and rare coloration, also has an ancient quality about the texture
of the glass. $1900. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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(M) This extraordinary bowl has
the esteemed D'AVESN signature boldly emblazoned on it. Wouldn't
you just know it? D'Avesn, who worked for both Lalique and Daum
(but, more significantly for himself), emerges as one
of the true design lions of the era. This bowl must have been
moved during the annealing process, as it's slightly out of round
-- you can see the evidence of a slight "bulge" in
the front, just right of center. Well, is the air postal stamp
with the upside-town airplane worth more, or less, than the "perfect"
stamps? This was probably so much work and expense to create
that they just let it out anyway... unless it was smuggled out
the back door. In any case it makes a good story, and frankly,
when it's up and lit (which it isn't in this photo), the sheer
beauty of it is so overpowering that there's not much of a chance
that you or anyone else would notice the "imperfection."
As shown, it's about 17 inches long. I can lengthen it but not
shorten it. It's about 15 inches across. $2500. (e-mail
Jack to start the conversation)
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