Louis XVI Cobalt Glass Urn Table Lamp with Gilt Ormolu Swag Mounts

Design & Inspiration

Place this lamp on a console in a formal salon and watch it do what a well-considered light source always does: it stops the eye before the room begins. The deep cobalt of the ribbed glass body catches any ambient light and holds it — not with glare, but with that deep interior luminosity that only coloured glass achieves. The pleated off-white shade softens the upward cast, making the gilt ormolu mounts glow against the blue ground like gilt details on a Sèvres vase. This is a lamp that earns its position on the table.

The form is drawn directly from the Louis XVI / Neoclassical vocabulary (1760–1800), when French decorative arts turned away from the asymmetric exuberance of the Rococo and returned to the disciplined clarity of Antiquity. The urn silhouette — swelling shoulders, pronounced waist, and spreading foot — was the era's defining vessel form, adopted from Greek and Roman pottery and translated into every medium from porcelain to ormolu. Here it is rendered in mould-blown ribbed glass, its vertical fluting recalling both the fluted columns of Neoclassical architecture and the channelled bodies of Sèvres porcelain pieces from the same period. The scrolled handles rise from the shoulder with the controlled elegance typical of Louis XVI metalwork, and the laurel-swag garland draped across the body is the period's most characteristic ornament — a motif that appears on everything from Marie Antoinette's furniture to the friezes of the Petit Trianon.

Materials & Craftsmanship

The body is formed from deep cobalt glass, cast and ribbed to create the vertical channel texture that catches light differently at every angle. The gilt ormolu mounts — the scrolled acanthus handles, the laurel swag centrepiece, the foliate collar at the neck, and the spreading acanthus-leaf base — are cast in brass and finished by hand to achieve the warm, rich gold tone that distinguishes quality ormolu from simple gold paint. The base fan spreads in four lobed sections with foliate relief, giving the lamp a stable, grounded presence. The off-white pleated fabric shade is proportioned to complement the urn body without overwhelming it, its gathered folds adding texture without competing with the decorative programme below.

Dimensions & Details

Weight: 4 kg. Shade diameter: approximately 40 cm. Bulb: E27 (Edison Screw), max 60W, 220V. The lamp arrives with an on/off switch on the cord. Minimal assembly required — shade attachment only.

Handcrafted in Egypt

Every lamp in the Brass & Wood collection is produced in Egypt by craftsmen trained in classical European decorative techniques. The ormolu mounts are individually cast, hand-finished, and assembled onto the glass body by hand — a process that ensures each piece has the weight and integrity of a true decorative object rather than a mass-produced fitting. Brass & Wood's commitment is to faithful reproduction: to give the design its due in material, finish, and proportion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials is this lamp made from?

The body is cobalt ribbed glass. The mounts, handles, neck collar, and base are cast brass with a hand-applied gilt finish. The shade is pleated fabric in off-white.

Is assembly required?

Minimal assembly only — the shade is attached to the lamp base on arrival. No tools required.

Can this lamp be customized?

Yes. Brass & Wood offers customization on brass finish (Gold, Silver, Antique Gold) across this lamp. Contact us for bespoke requests including shade colour or fabric.