Studio RT Ltd

Description

We are delighted to offer for sale this beautifully decorated porcelain Table Lamp by the French ceramic studio (Atelier Le Tallec) of Camille Le Tallec (1906-91). We believe that he used Limoges Porcelain items, as we have found an identical Limoges article in undecorated white porcelain, and designed and decorated them entirely by hand in Belleville in Paris. The new bespoke shade in the 'Ballerina' style has been made by the makers of the Downton Abbey, Mr. Selfridge TV series and is in gold silk brocade, wiht goldbraid and gold fringe overlaid with Italian gold and white beads.

The lamp is very pretty and elegant in form and bears handles in the form of swans. Every part of the coloured design and all the gilding is entirely hand painted. The lamp has a central motif of a basket of flowers on both sides and has garlands of flowers on the top cover, as well as smaller flowers on the base. The lamp stands upon a square brass base. Please see the photograph of the base showing the inscriptions and date letters.

Camille Le Tallec was born in Paris on 9th November 1906, from Breton of Lorient and Picard ancestry. He graduated in 1929 from the prestigious Ecole du Louve in Paris with a thesis on the Nast porcelain of the 18th century. He then took over, in 1930, the familial hand-painted porcelain studio founded in Belleville, (Paris) early in the century.

Rapidly, Le Tallec decided to continue in the tradition of the Vincennes porcelain and Severs porcelain, expanding the small and local business, the Atelier Le Tallec. In thirty years, the studio created hand-painted porcelain tablewares for famous individuals such as Queen Elilzabeth II, Kings Mohammed V and Hassan II of Morocco, the Ville de Paris or the French Republic, amongst others.

In 1961, Le Tallec started a fruitful collaboration with the silver and jewelry firm Tiffany & Co., which led in 1990 to the Atelier Le Tallec's incorporation into the American company, one year before his death in Paris on August 21st 1991. Tiffany's and Le Tallec designed successful original and private porcelain patterns that can be seen both at the Viaduc des Arts of the promenade plantee in the 12th arrondissement and in all Tiffany's stores in the United-States.

Over 60 years, Le Tallec has maintained traditional hand-painted porcelain. From 1941 he instituted his own dating system with a letter or letters within a L and T and this lamp bears the x symbol for 1971, and the painter's initials of C.M. He preserved and revisited about 375 original and historical patterns. Atelier Le Tallec was inducted as a member of the Grands Ateliers de France (the fifty best studios in France) in 2000.

Le Tallec also acquired from 1935 to 1955 prestigious pieces of European porcelain. His exceptional collection was dispersed by auction in 1990, and some masterpieces acquired by international museums such as the Louvre, the Musee de la Faience de Marseille, and various porcelain collectors.

He was a Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur appointed in 1976 by a schoolmate of his: Edgar Faure, then president of the French National Assembly.

The lamp has been completely rewired with antique gold coloured braided flex and has all new fittings, including a safer switched lampholder, plug and shade carrier. As with all electrical items it is recommended that it have checked by a qualified electrician before use.

Height to top of shade: 19" - 48.2cm

Diameter of shade: 11" - 28cm

Base: 3 3/4" - 9.55cm square.

Condition: Excellent. The shade is new.