Table lamp, wood and opaline glass, mazda, art deco, 1920s – france

Splendid Art Deco table or desk lamp made in France in the early 20th century, design registered by the lighting brand MAZDA. Elegant and delicate, it features a slender wooden base from which an opaline glass shade seems to bloom. The term Art Deco was defined in the 1960s to describe the art produced during the interwar period. It is a style that developed across all areas of design and reached its peak at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris (1925). It is characterised by the use of straight lines and geometric volumes, resulting from the combination of different trends. Major influences on Art Deco include avant-garde art, mechanisation, and archaeological discoveries in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It differs from other artistic periods by its purely decorative nature, with artists seeking to create attractive and balanced pieces, reflecting the society of the time. The base bears the brand's seal, where one can read "registered design, work lamp, MAZDA, France." MAZDA was one of the great pioneers in the history of electric lighting in Europe in the early 20th century. The name comes from Ahura Mazda, the deity of light in Zoroastrianism. In the early 20th century, the term was adopted as a trademark for high-quality incandescent lamps. In France, the brand was associated with the Compagnie des Lampes, one of the country's leading bulb manufacturers. The Compagnie des Lampes was founded at the end of the 19th century and became a major player in electrification in France. It marketed its products under the MAZDA brand, particularly from the 1910s and 1920s. During the 1920s and 1930s, MAZDA actively participated in the modernisation of urban and domestic lighting in France. Advertisements of the time displayed an Art Deco aesthetic and associated the brand with modernity, progress, and comfort. After World War II, the lighting sector was restructured. The MAZDA brand eventually became part of the group that would later become Thomson-CSF (the predecessor of the current Thales group). Over time, the name MAZDA disappeared as an independent trademark, but it left a significant mark on French industrial history.