Object Description
Large Viennese cold-painted bronze lamp of a mandolin player by Bergman
Austrian, c. 1910
Height 39cm, width 15cm, depth 15cm
Crafted around 1910 by Franz Xaver Bergman (Austrian, 1861-1936), this Orientalist sculptural lamp depicts a young woman playing a mandolin and singing. She is sitting on a green cushioned seat while beneath her feet is a polychrome patterned rug draped on two steps. Dressed in typical Orientalist clothing, her beautifully executed facial expression suggests she is in a joyful mood.
Above the main figure is a domed canopy. Its construction includes a pierced window draped by a striped red and gold curtain. A gold shield and a flag also hang on the construction. The domed cover is superbly decorated with trefoil windows filled with coloured glass and is surmounted by a crescent moon which is an important symbol of Islam. A similar motif can also be observed on the flagpole.
The lamp is stamped with a ‘B’ in an urn-shaped cartouche, ‘GESCH’ as well as ‘3’.
The cold-painting technique has been superbly used to highlight even the smallest details of the scene, such as the patterns on the rug or the texture of the seat.