Pair of French Orange Opaline Glass Table Lamps with New Teal Silk Shades

A matched pair of mid-century French opaline glass table lamps in a vibrant orange, each topped with a new cylindrical dupioni silk shade in teal. The layered stepped profile combined with the strong contrast between the orange and teal gives this pair a bold, maximalist modernism focused on color. New E14 socketsHeight including the shade. The bases are made of opaline glass, an opaque material that captures light and has long been associated with French glassmaking. A compact round body rises through two layered collars to a stepped neck. The ultra-brilliant orange surface plays with the light on each of its curves. Its shape is classic with a stepped profile yet decidedly modern with its colors and finishes, characteristic of European glass lighting of this era. Opaline is a colored glass that is opaque or semi-opaque, which has become emblematic of luxury French glassmaking since the 19th century. The Victoria and Albert Museum attributes the origin of this term to the Baccarat manufacture, which appeared in 1823. These objects were produced by major French glasshouses, notably Baccarat, Saint-Louis, and Choisy-le-Roi. Its soft and luminous depth and ability to reproduce saturated colors have made opaline a highly sought-after material by collectors and designers ever since.