‘Carpet Seller Lamp’ Vienna Bronze by Franz Bergman - Circa 1910

An excellent early 20th Century Austrian cold painted bronze lamp of an Arab man selling a highly detailed Oriental carpet, with very fine colour and carefully chased surface detail. The inside fitted with an electrical light, rewired and signed to base with the Bergman ‘B’ in an amphora vase, stamped Geschutzt and numbered.

Orientalist Subjects

From the 17th Century onwards it was customary to go on a  tour of the East – the Grand Tour – as an educational rite of passage. Visiting countries and experiencing customs they had only ever heard about in stories, these young men were keen to show their families mementos of their experience, especially the lavish subjects of the Middle Eastern Arab world. The return trip would usually include a visit to Vienna, and here the ‘souvenir’ shops supplied a plethora of beautifully crafted sculptures with an Orientalist Arab flavour. These were often acquired to show their friends and families images of their travels. Bergman was noted for his detailed and colourful work and he produced a huge number of Orientalist subjects to cater for this market including this impressive lamp.

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Price

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report