Balustrade Table Lamp Pair Hand Carved 20th Century

Pair of hand carved wood balustrades converted into a pair of table lamps.

The balustrade is a part of a staircase, between the rail and the floor, acting mainly as supports for the banisters. Balustrades were made of many types of materials, such as wood, plaster, and metal, and some were intricately carved. The balustrade example above is hand carved of a dark wood, crowned with a black tole lamp shade.

Balustrades were made in many shapes, the most common shape being that resembling a pomegranate flower, with a swelling lower portion tapering to a thin upper portion, then swelling slightly once more to form the top. This shape is also called a vasiform shape, as it resembles the shape of a vase.

The shape of the balustrade listed above is an urn type of shape, however, this particular pair of balustrades features many squared shapes, including the central urn shape. This central shape, instead of being rounded, flares out to sharp edges in the center of the urn. It then tapers above and below, more so above than below, to meet the plinth below, and the pedestal above.

In the 19th Century, balustrades were converted into a variety of different ornamental objects, including lamps and lighting objects. This pair of balustrade lamps is an example of such a conversion. The balustrade is heavy, as its original design and intention were as the support of the handrail of a staircase. This particular pair of balustrades is exceptionally heavy and massive, and is composed of many sharp angles and forms.

The pair of balustrades described above may be found here