Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated these Art Deco Glass Wall Lights to the 1930s.
Description
A striking pair of French Art Deco moulded and frosted glass sconce wall light shades, circa 1930.
They are crafted from heavy, moulded (pressed) glass, giving real substance and crisp definition to the relief work. The surface has a frosted, almost satin finish, achieved by acid-etching or sandblasting. This treatment gently softens the planes of the design, diffusing the light emitted from within and throwing a smooth, even glow across the wall, while the raised motifs remain slightly clearer. When lit, those clearer high points act almost like facets, catching and refracting the light to emphasise the sculptural modelling of the glass.
From the front, the design reads as a series of overlapping rectilinear planes, rising and falling in shallow terraces like a ziggurat. From the side, the staggered blocks and cantilevered upper section give a crisp, layered silhouette that projects elegantly from the wall. Within this framework, bold radiating sunburst rays slice diagonally across the surface, intersected by zig-zag and fan motifs in high relief.
The shades retain their four original brass support fixings – simple period bent brass wall brackets – which hold each piece slightly off the wall so they read as small illuminated architectural panels rather than conventional sconces. The powerful geometry, stepped skyscraper outline and dynamic rays are very much in the manner of Marius-Ernest Sabino’s moulded-glass lighting, and closely comparable in idiom to designs by Établissements Jean Gauthier (EJG / Ezan) and Verreries des Hanots. Unsigned, however, the quality, weight and design vocabulary are entirely consistent with French Art Deco glass of the interwar years.
About Sabino
Marius-Ernest Sabino (1878–1961) was one of the leading French Art Deco glassmakers. Sicilian-born and Paris-trained, he studied at the École des Arts Décoratifs and the Beaux-Arts before founding his own glassworks in Paris, specialising in thick press-moulded and often opalescent glass for lighting, vases and figural pieces.
Sabino’s output is characterised by rich relief work, strong geometric silhouettes and dramatic rays or radiating motifs, especially in wall lights, plafonniers and chandeliers. Many designs use heavy moulded glass with satin or opalescent finishes that come alive when lit, making his pieces highly sought after by collectors today.
While this pair is not signed and cannot be attributed to his workshop, the stepped skyscraper form, radiating sunbursts and use of heavy moulded glass with a satin finish place them firmly in the same design language – hence the description “in the manner of Sabino”.
Provenance
From the collection of the late Philip Clarkson (1949–2025), graphic designer, photographer and noted collector of 20th-century design and popular culture, sold through a notable auction house near Chester and curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
Historical context
By the late 1920s and early 1930s, Art Deco had become the dominant modern style in architecture, interiors and decorative arts, with Paris as one of its key centres. The 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris helped launch the new look internationally: streamlined forms, bold geometry, stylised rays and zig-zags, often combined with luxurious materials and dramatic lighting.
Advances in pressed- and moulded-glass technology during the interwar years allowed French factories to produce thick, sculptural shades at scale. These new techniques aligned perfectly with the machine-age aest
Cheshire Antiques Consultant Ltd has dated these Art Deco Glass Wall Lights to the 1930s.
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Pair Art Deco Skyscraper Glass Wall Lights
