Wait until the sun goes down and switch this one on: the caramel slag glass warms from within, glowing amber and honey behind a lace of gilded flowers, and suddenly a dark corner of the room feels like candlelight. This Art Nouveau slag glass table lamp stands about 21 inches tall, and it is every bit as lovely lit as it is by day.
Slag glass gets its name from the streaked, marbled look of the glass, opaque swirls of cream and caramel that no two panels share. Lamps like this were an American favorite in the early 1900s and 1910s, when a warm shaded lamp on the parlor table was the height of comfort and style. Over the curved glass panels sits a delicate filigree overlay, cast metal pierced into an intricate basket spilling over with roses and blossoms.
The base is where the Art Nouveau spirit really sings. A graceful gilded urn rises on a round pedestal foot, flanked by two scrolling handles, and wrapped around its body is a winged dragon in low relief, the kind of mythical flourish the era loved. It is a small sculpture in its own right, even before the shade is considered.
A piece like this earns a place of honor: a side table by a reading chair, an entry console, or a bedroom where you want soft, forgiving light at the end of the day. It is functional art that has already lit a century of evenings and is ready for many more.
Come see this slag glass beauty in person at Pollyanna’s Antiques in downtown Mt. Clemens. We are open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 10 to 4, and there is always something new waiting to catch your eye.