Table or Wall Lamp attributed to Helena Frantova from Esc Zukov, 1953

This is a lamp designed by Czech artist Helena Frantova (1928-2022) and was produced in former Czechoslovakia.

Helena Frantova was primarily a jewellery designer, working with metal. The lighting industry in the Czech Republic was traditionally occupied by male designers and Frantova, together with Ruzena Zertova were the only few women that managed to design lighting pieces at the time. She was renown for her deep knowledge of shaping metal and for precise details. We can clearly see this in her jewellery work but also in this lamp.

This piece was designed to be a flexible table lamp but because the shape of its base , it can also be used and hang as a wall lamp. The base is made of a bent brass bar that holds the main body, which is also made in brass. This part holds the bulb, the on/off switch and can be adjusted to both side. The lamp shade is made of parchment paper that is held by a brass cover on the top and it's what gives the lamp its nickname "Chinese lady", as the shape is a reminiscent of a traditional Chinese hat.

Overall the design comes from the minimalist forms of the pre war modernist movement, it is perfectly practical and hasn't lost any design quality even some 70 years since first produced.

Brass parts of the lamp have acquired some patina which we kept as it adds an unique charm, character and originality to the whole piece. The old lampshade was damaged beyond repair and therefore was replaced by an exact replica, made by our fellow restorer who focus specially on restoring and remaking lampshades from this era. All other parts (including the switch, the bulb fitting, cord and the European plug) are original and fully functional.