Stella -- Ant. Nelson's Compelling Art Nouveau Statue/Lamp of the Lady Herself!

Antiques : Lamps, Lighting

 

So-named according to the tiny bronze plaque at her foot, "Stella" stands almost 26 inches high on her attractive red marble base which is 7 inches in diameter. She's signed by the well-known and respected French Art Nouveau artist "Ant Nelson" (Alphonse Nelson, 1854-1919), and is cast in white metal, finished with a rich bronze verdigris patina. The ribbon above her head has three small star-shaped cut-outs, behind which is a small sheet of deep amber mica, which shades the light from a small bulb (I put the mica there, replacing what I imagine to have been little chunks of glass). When I bought her, both ends of her ribbon had been broken off, and my professional restorer Ralph Carlson of Sebastopol worked his magic and ... who would ever know? There's NO evidence of his addition whatsoever, and what an incredible artistic interpretation he's rendered! He's probably made her even more wonderful than when she was first cast! Well, that's my humble opinion anyway (and believe me I'm humble in the face of Ralph's work).

Item ID: FRTBLMP4