Pair of unusual carved, lacquered, and gilded wood wall sconces, Tuscany, early 20th century

Pair of unusual carved, lacquered, and gilded wood wall sconces, Tuscany, early 20th century Dimensions: H 82 x W 27 x D 15 cm Price: private negotiation Item accompanied by our certificate of authenticity The pair of unusual wall sconces in carved, lacquered, and gilded wood, simulating bronze, was made in Tuscany in the early 20th century, and is characterized by a marked exotic taste and rich plastic quality. The structure of each sconce is conceived as a tall vertical element that rises in the shape of a stylized palm tree: the trunk, lacquered in dark brown tones, is marked by overlapping leaves that open at the top into a golden frond crown, creating a slender and theatrical profile on the wall. In the center of the composition, at the base of the trunk, is a finely carved musician moor, seated on a rock: the figure, rendered in the round, shows great attention to the details of the face and clothing, and holds a wind instrument in its hands, giving the ensemble a playful and precious tone, typical of the 18th-19th century decorative tradition linked to the taste for the exotic and "Turkish" or "Moorish" figurative styles. The base of the rock is semicircular, adorned with gilded leaves. Below, an element with flared acanthus leaves surmounts a corbel curl from which two elegantly curved light-bearing arms depart, enriched with acanthus leaf carvings, fluting, and small vegetal motifs that end in carved bobeches and candle holders. Finally, a drapery descends from the curl element, treated as a banner that falls along the trunk, and ends with tassels, gilded with brown lacquer details. The current electrification allows for contemporary use without betraying the original candle-holder design: the lamp holders, completed by pleated light-colored fabric shades, diffuse a soft and warm light, enhancing the gilded surfaces. The lacquered and gilded wood finish creates a sophisticated chromatic play that lends elegance and overall harmony. These particularly slender wall sconces are perfect as architectural features on walls, even tall ones: ideal in a dramatic entrance hall, along a corridor, next to a gilded mirror or above a console table, inserted into boiseries, but also in a living room or a bedroom with a classic or eclectic taste. The dialogue between the verticality of the palm trees, the rhythm of the arms, and the narrative liveliness of the musician moors makes them strongly characterizing, capable of introducing a note of exoticism into both historic and contemporary interiors.