Art deco table lamp by Paul Haustein for WMF Ikora, Congo series, 1920s

A rare and striking Art Deco table lamp from the celebrated Ikora metalware line produced by Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF), Geislingen, Germany. Designed by Prof. Paul Haustein (1880–1944) — the pivotal figure behind WMF’s Ikora Noble Metal programme and a long-standing member of the German Werkbund — this lamp belongs to the iconic “Congo” series, originally conceived around 1929. The hemispherical body is formed in silvered and copper-plated brass, worked in WMF’s distinctive Ikora technique: a multi-layer electroplating process combined with chemical fire-patination, producing the characteristic deep olive-green ground with contrasting copper and silver tones. The surface is richly engraved with the Congo pattern — a continuous frieze of stylized tropical motifs including leaping animals, water, palm flora, and geometric banding — imagery reflecting the Primitivist currents fashionable in European applied arts of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The WMF Ikora tower mark is stamped on the underside of the base. The shade is a later addition ( cocoon fabric 1960s ) and on the top finial an extra round disc was added to hold this shade. The lamp as can be seen is heavily patinated and shows its age through some discoloration and spots.