Pair Art Deco Skyscraper Glass Wall Appliqué Sconces in the Manner Of Marius-Ernest Sabino
French Art Deco, Circa 1930
A Pair of Illuminated Glass Skyscrapers
Architectural Moulded and Frosted Glass Wall Sconce Shades
Highlights
• Matched pair of sculptural French Art Deco glass wall appliqués.
• Distinctive stepped silhouette inspired by skyscrapers and ziggurats.
• Dynamic sunburst, fan and zig-zag motifs moulded in high relief.
• Heavy pressed glass construction weighing approximately 2.2 kg each.
• Soft satin finish designed to diffuse illumination.
• In the stylistic tradition of Marius-Ernest Sabino.
• Period brass brackets retained with later fixing screws.
• Provenance from an established collection of 20th-century design.
• Strong decorative impact whether illuminated or displayed unlit.
• Sold without wiring, lampholders or bulbs for professional installation.
Introduction
This remarkable pair of circa 1930 wall-light shades captures the architectural ambition and theatrical glamour of French Art Deco.
Formed from thick moulded glass, each shade resembles a miniature illuminated skyscraper. A central vertical panel is framed by stepped tiers, radiating rays and sharply articulated geometric motifs.
The satin surface transforms direct illumination into a soft atmospheric glow, while raised details remain more translucent and catch brighter points of light. Even when unlit, the shades read as a pair of sculptural architectural panels.
Catalogue Details
Origin: Probably French
Date: Circa 1930
Period: Art Deco
Object Type: Pair of architectural glass wall-light shades
Material: Moulded or pressed glass
Finish: Frosted or satin surface
Metalwork: Period brass support brackets
Designer: Unidentified
Stylistic Attribution: In the manner of Marius-Ernest Sabino
Markings: No visible signature or factory mark recorded
Electrical Fittings: Not included
Catalogue Note
The form is composed from a succession of projecting geometric planes. Each level steps forward from the wall, creating depth and casting subtle shadows around the moulded details.
The broad central panel establishes a strong vertical axis. Smaller tiered sections flank it like the receding wings of a modernist tower or cinema façade.
Across these architectural forms, diagonal sunburst rays intersect with fans and zig-zags. The pattern changes as the viewer moves around the shade, ensuring that the design remains animated from both frontal and side viewpoints.
The frosting moderates the density of the heavy glass and creates a calm, diffused appearance when viewed in natural light. Under electrical illumination, the thinner and more raised sections should become brighter, revealing the complexity of the original mould.
No laboratory or workshop analysis has been undertaken to establish whether the surface was acid-finished, sandblasted or produced through another frosting technique. It is therefore described simply as a satin-frosted finish.
Sabino And The Architecture Of Light
Marius-Ernest Sabino was born in Sicily in 1878 and developed his career in France.
He trained in Paris and became one of the leading designers of decorative glass during the Art Deco period. His workshop produced vases, figures and architectural lighting in moulded, pressed and frequently opalescent glass.
Sabino understood glass lighting as a form of illuminated sculpture. Relief, contrasting surface finishes and geometric modelling allowed his designs to change dramatically when electric light passed through them.
The present shades are not signed Sabino and are not represented as products of his workshop. Their stepped geometry, substantial glass, radiating motifs and emphasis upon light and architecture nevertheless make the stylistic comparison particularly appropriate.
Other French manufacturers—including Jean Gauthier, Ezan and Verreries des Hanots—worked within a related field. In the absence of identifying marks or a confirmed catalogue design, the precise workshop remains unknown.
Historical Context
Art Deco emerged as a dominant international design movement during the 1920s and 1930s.
The Paris Exposition of 1925 promoted a modern decorative language built around luxurious materials, stylised geometry and skilled industrial production.
Electric lighting offered designers an entirely new decorative medium. Pressed-glass technology allowed complicated patterns and substantial architectural forms to be reproduced with considerable consistency.
Wall lights became integral parts of cinemas, hotels, department stores and modern private homes. Their designs frequently echoed skyscrapers, ocean liners, machinery and the dramatic façades of contemporary picture palaces.
This pair belongs convincingly to that glamorous early-electric environment. Their purpose was not simply to light a room but to transform the wall into part of the architecture.
Provenance
Collection of the late Philip Clarkson (1949–2025), graphic designer, photographer and collector of 20th-century design and popular culture.
Subsequently offered through a notable auction house near Chester.
Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
Dimensions
Each glass shade measures approximately:
Height: 26 cm
Width: 26.3 cm
Depth: Just under 10 cm
Weight: 2.2 kg
Condition Report
The pair is in good overall decorative condition for interwar pressed glass.
Both shades are structurally sound, and the principal sunburst and architectural motifs remain sharply defined.
There are scattered flea bites, edge nibbling, small chips and minor localised losses around the stepped outlines and rims. Light scuffs and areas of interior haze or mineral staining are present.
Mould seams and small production irregularities are inherent to the original manufacturing process.
The brass brackets have tarnish, marks, wear and remnants of old solder. Later screws accompany the fittings, with one screw currently missing.
No electrical wiring, bulb holders, backplates or lamps are supplied. These objects are offered as period glass shades and support brackets rather than working electrical appliances.
A qualified electrician must assess the shades, design the appropriate electrical assembly and confirm that the wall structure and fixings can safely support their weight.
All photographs form part of the condition description and should be examined carefully before purchase.
Shipping
Professional insured delivery is available throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.
Because of their weight and stepped edges, the shades will be individually wrapped, separated and securely packed for transit. Delivery will be tracked and insured wherever available.
Please contact us for further delivery information or an international quotation.
Attribution And Research Notice
The dating, proposed country of origin, manufacturing description and stylistic interpretation represent the professional, non-guaranteed opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. No moulded signature, acid-etched mark, factory label or pattern number has presently been found. “In the manner of Marius-Ernest Sabino” refers to a shared Art Deco design language and does not indicate manufacture by Sabino or any documented connection with his firm.
Comparisons with Ezan, Jean Gauthier and Verreries des Hanots are contextual and should not be understood as formal attributions. The glass shades and brackets are sold without electrical components. Their installation, wiring, bulb clearance, heat tolerance and wall fixings must be determined by a qualified electrician. Further specialist research or discovery of an archival catalogue may allow the manufacturer to be identified in the future.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art. Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
