Thursday, March 21, 2024

Two Nymphs are Better Than One

Presenting my other Nouveau era lamp that I mentioned in the previous post HERE. I was actually going to wait to post about it after I found the perfect shade, but alas, finding just the right one is quite a bit harder than I anticipated (and expensive!) Now what I have here is actually a 19th century bronze vase that has been converted into a lamp. It is adorned with two very lovely nymphs in individual poses on either side, plus plenty of gorgeous floral detail from the top, down to the obsidian green base. It weighs well over 20 lbs and is 35" tall, and is honestly just a thing of jaw-dropping beauty from every possible angle. Look closely at the bottom and you will also see the sculptor's signature, "C. Bonnefond." While researching him, I stumbled upon another lamp exactly like mine for sale, and noticed it listed as "one-of-a-kind", which is of course not true because, well, --here is my proof! The only difference being the flower extentions at the top were missing. So which nymph is your favorite? I sure am a sucker for girls with flowers in their hair...

4 comments:

Mr. Cavin said...

Thirty-five inches total? So the original vase is, what, eighteen or twenty inches? That's freaking huge! Very cool find. I can't wait to see what it looks like when you finally find (or make) a frame for it.

I don't rank nymphs. Each one is beautiful in her own way. What makes a nymph attractive to me is spontaneity, self-confidence, and a great sense of humor.

Brian Barnes said...

The cool thing about big heavy bronze sculpts like this is no matter the area they all look industrial; big, heavy, yet light and ornate with a great bit of grace. The utilitarian light fixture helps a bit!

I'd vote for the second nymph; it has a real feel of motion.

JMR777 said...

The first nymph made me think of Tinkerbell for some reason.

I think the first nymph just edges out the second, with her subdued, almost shy, modest look.

The second one looks like she is waking up from a refreshing nap and is ready to dance on the lawn come sundown.

Mr. Karswell said...

>I think the first nymph just edges out the second, with her subdued, almost shy, modest look.

Same!