Ejg & Bev Art Deco Lantern in Nickel-Plated Bronze and Enameled Pressed Glass 1930

  

Elegant Art Deco suspension or lantern with a nickel-plated bronze frame monogrammed BEV, suspending a large six-sided globe made of enameled pressed glass by Les Établissements Jean Gauthier (EJG). Very rarely offered in enameled version, this globe equipped numerous lighting fixtures from the 1930s, as evidenced by the extract from the catalog of Léon Bonvoisin, a Parisian lighting manufacturer (photo 6). Ideal for illuminating a hallway or landing, this suspension measures 60 cm in height and weighs 3.9 kilos. Jean Gauthier established his production and decorative ceramic and lighting glass company in Paris in 1909. During the 1920s and 30s, the prolific Gauthier produced a large number of lighting glassworks in his factory in Ezanville in the Oise.

His models are sometimes unsigned, often signed EJG for Établissements Jean Gauthier or J. Robert, referring to the rue Jean Robert where his decoration workshop was located.

This glassworks was undoubtedly one of the most important of the pre-war period, alongside those of the Cristallerie de Compiègne (Degué) and the Frères Muller in Lunéville. A shop located at number 13 rue du Paradis also showcased Gauthier's productions.

After the 1929 crisis, it was the same Jean Gauthier who produced lighting glassworks signed Ezan. The six-sided enameled molded-pressed glass globe, which is unsigned, existed in three sizes.

This tall version of 25.5 cm and 18.5 cm wide is the largest of the models. Here, the glass is mass-colored orange and then re-fired after the application of green and old rose enamels on the floral patterns. This technique was mainly used by two glassworks during the 1920s and 30s: that of Jean Gauthier and that of the Hanots. The acid-etched surface has been polished for transparency effects on some prominent reliefs. The hexagonal neck, which has a few chips entirely covered by the grip (photo 11), is a characteristic of the globes produced by Jean Gauthier's glassworks; it required the bronze manufacturers to design a grip suitable for this specific shape.

This glasswork has a small chip on an upper corner near the neck, with no material loss but with an 8mm spot where the glass is whitened (photo 10). Given its location, this defect is not visible when the fixture is hung. The frame is made of nickel-plated cast bronze with a hexagonal canopy and grip, whose stylized floral decor perfectly matches that of the glasswork.

The original nickel plating is not altered; it has retained a beautiful shine. This frame, whose height can be reduced by removing one or more links, is stamped with the BEV monogram inside the canopy. These three letters, which identify the foundry or bronze manufacturer, can be found on a significant number of lighting devices from the 1920s and 30s. Very often associated with glassworks from Les Établissements Jean Gauthier, the origin of the bronzes marked BEV remains unknown to this day. This suspension is equipped with a nickel-plated brass B22 bayonet socket (photo 8) and has been rewired with a new wire.

It is ready to be installed and illuminate. Any total or partial reproduction of the text and/or images of this announcement is strictly reserved.