Napoleon III Rococo Revival Crimson Ceramic Urn Table Lamp with Gilt Brass Scrollwork

Design & Inspiration

Place this lamp on a side table and it immediately shifts the character of the room. The deep crimson urn body — flanked by a pair of scrolling gilt brass handles — commands attention the way a well-chosen painting does: not by demanding it, but by deserving it. This is a table lamp in the tradition of the Napoleon III Second Empire period, an era that revived the extravagance of the Rococo and dressed it in the industrial confidence of mid-19th-century Paris. The urn form itself traces back to ancient Greek and Roman prototypes, reinterpreted through the lens of Second Empire decorative excess and precision casting.

Materials & Craftsmanship

The lamp base is a hand-cast gilt brass framework that wraps and crowns a deep wine-red ceramic urn body. At its widest point, the urn body carries a hand-painted porcelain medallion — a cartouche of delicate floral bouquet work on a cream ground — echoing the Sèvres-inspired porcelain panels that defined the finest Second Empire decorative arts. The scrollwork handles arch outward in deeply modeled C-scroll curves, characteristic of the Rococo Revival vocabulary, and terminate in leaf-capped finials. The base is a four-footed cast brass plinth with claw details. The pleated off-white fabric shade is proportioned to complement the verticality of the urn without overwhelming it. Every brass element is handcrafted, giving each lamp a subtle individuality that machine-made pieces cannot replicate.

Dimensions & Details

Weight: 4 kg. Shade diameter: approximately 40 cm. Bulb socket: E27 Edison Screw. Voltage: 220V. Max wattage: 60W. This lamp is available in multiple brass finish variants — refer to the variant selector for options.

Handcrafted in Egypt

Every lamp in the Brass & Wood collection is handcrafted in Egypt by artisans who work within a living tradition of metalwork and decorative casting. The gilt brass elements are individually cast and hand-finished; the ceramic body is glazed and hand-painted before assembly. This is not mass production — it is the careful, piece-by-piece work of craftspeople who understand that the difference between a lamp and a work of decorative art is attention to each joint, each curve, and each surface. Brass & Wood brings that standard of craft to every home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials is this lamp made from?

The lamp base combines a hand-glazed wine-red ceramic urn body with a hand-cast gilt brass framework including scrollwork handles, neck, and footed plinth. The shade is a pleated off-white fabric.

Is assembly required?

Minimal assembly is required — typically attaching the shade to the lamp harp. No tools are needed.

Can this lamp be customized?

Yes. Brass & Wood offers customization options including alternative brass finishes (Gold, Silver, Antique Gold) and shade colors. Contact us to discuss your requirements before ordering.