Table lamp with Loetz-shade ca. 1902

Around 1900, many artists drew inspiration from nature when designing new electric lighting. Particularly popular were floral and vegetal motifs, as well as trees, whose organic forms were harmoniously integrated into functional objects.
The base of this lamp, cast in bronze in France, is artfully modeled as a tree: gnarled roots support a trunk with richly detailed bark, from which three delicate branches extend to hold the shade. The shade with an unidentified decor was produced by the glass manufactory Johann Loetz Witwe: on an opal ground with a hyacinth overlay, fused silver oxide flecks shimmer across the surface, while feather-like bands of Kreta and silver oxide encircle the edge of the shade.
The combination of the naturalistic bronze base and the finely crafted glass shade exemplifies the harmonious union of artistic expression and functional design in the Art Nouveau style.