Rattan Table Lamp With Criss-Cross Shade, Attributed To Louis Sognot, 1950S

This table lamp is highly representative of mid-20th-century French modernist design utilizing natural plant fibers. The structural design relies on a hexagonal base formed by juxtaposed rattan canes, topped by a central cylindrical stem accented with rattan pith bindings. The remarkable element of this piece lies in its original, double-layered architectural lampshade: an internal diffuser cylinder in stretched fabric, enclosed by an external openwork structure made of diagonally crisscrossed rattan strands. This rigorous design offers a light diffusion that is both warm and structured.

The geometric and innovative treatment of the rattan allows this creation to be formally attributed to Louis Sognot. A key figure in French decorative arts and a founding member of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM), Sognot distinguished himself in the 1950s with his desire to elevate rattan. Moving away from traditional rustic garden furniture, he established this material in upscale post-war interiors. His work combines the lightness of organic matter with the strictness of modernist drafting, becoming the perfect embodiment of the post-war French Riviera style.

Condition report: Good overall condition. The rattan displays a warm, natural patina of use, with no major structural breaks. The internal diffuser is well preserved. The electrical wiring and switch are period original. This graphically profiled lighting fixture will ideally serve as a bedside lamp, on an end table, or a desk in a contemporary or modernist interior.