Pair of Sconces in Painted Tole with Flowered Basket and Two Light Arms, Italian Work, Circa 1950

Each sconce is organised around a gadrooned basket in blue-green and gold painted tole, from which springs an abundant bouquet of roses in old-rose tones and green foliage, mounted on sinuous stems that animate the whole composition. Two light arms in foliate stems flare out symmetrically, ending in gilt scalloped corolla bobèches carrying the white faux candles.

This type of flowered sconce in polychrome tole is a speciality of the Italian workshops of the 1950s, heirs to the tradition of the "flowered tole" of the 18th century: smiling naturalism, freshness of colouring and meticulous work of the cut-out tole make them luminaires full of gaiety, much sought after for settings of charm.

Condition report: Good overall condition. Original polychromy with a soft patina, with the very slight wear and retouching expected on these delicate toles. Wiring to be checked before use. Framing a mirror or a window, in a bedroom or a bathroom, this pair brings a bucolic note full of poetry.