Pair of Florentine wall or ceiling lights, foliage green & gold, 5-light, 1960s/70s

Offered is a pair of identical wall or ceiling lights in the Florentine style from the 1960s or 1970s; the price is for both lights together. Lights of this type, made of hand-shaped, painted, and gilded sheet metal, are in the Florentine toleware tradition and were crafted in those decades by Italian workshops such as Banci Firenze as well as by German manufacturers such as Hans Kögl, who often specifically offered their five-flame leaf lights as pairs for walls and ceilings. There is no manufacturer's mark on these pieces, which is why the classification is to be understood as a stylistic attribution.

Each light is designed like a wide-open blossom: surrounding a gilded, embossed rosette with a turned knob is a dense wreath of serrated leaves in a deep, matte dark green, from which long, gilded acanthus leaves radiate outward. Beneath the gilding, the typical red bole primer shines through, giving the gold the warm, vivid depth of classic Italian tole pieces, while the five sockets arranged all around are half-hidden in the foliage. When switched on, the leaves cast an expressive, star-shaped play of shadows on the wall or ceiling, so that the lights act as decorative objects whether switched off or illuminated.

Mounted directly to the ceiling or wall, the pair is suitable for a hallway, stairwell, bedroom, or dining room and has a particularly strong effect when positioned symmetrically on either side of a mirror, fireplace, or sideboard, in a Hollywood Regency or mid-century interior just as much as in a contemporary setting. The lacquer and gilding bear a beautiful patina consistent with age, with small abrasions and nicks on the leaf tips and edges, as is typical for vintage toleware. The bulbs shown in the photos are not included; the lights are dimmable and work with standard E14 bulbs, including LED versions. Each light measures 39 cm in diameter and 15 cm in height, is equipped with five E14 sockets, and is in good vintage condition with age-related signs of use.