Val Saint Lambert - Lamp - Cranberry sommerso, twisted lamp base • with factory label • Belgium • c. 1955–1965 - Crystal

Just over 2.2 kilos of solid crystal: this Val Saint Lambert lamp base is formed from a single piece of hot glass and spun. A cranberry-red core sits beneath thick clear crystal, the sommerso technique, and fades downward into raspberry pink. The lobes are turned over with pliers to form a base. The original factory label is still on the glass. When the lamp is lit, the core glows from within.

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Description:
A slender, tapering core rises from a broad foot. Wings of clear crystal spin around that core and bend at the bottom to form lobes. The glass is not cut but fire-polished; every contour is the work of the glassblower’s hand. The shield-shaped label in silver and gold bears 'Val St Lambert', 'Belgique' and 'Déposé' around a rosette. At the top there is a brass neck ring and an E27 socket.

About the maker:
Val Saint Lambert has worked in Seraing on the Meuse near Liège since 1825. Around 1900 the factory produced up to 160,000 pieces per day, largely for export. After World War II, Italian glassblowers came to Seraing. Under René Delvenne, round, organic forms in heavily unpolished crystal with spun color cores emerged. It is precisely this kind of table lamp that belongs to that postwar line.

In the interior:
On a sideboard with a linen shade, in the evening: the light passes through the crystal and lights the cranberry-red core from within.

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Condition:
Good. Crystal with no visible flakes or cracks. Label: the left edge is chipped, the inscription is legible. Socket and cord have been replaced later. The electrical components have not been tested; have the lamp checked before use. Plug must be replaced. Sold without shade. See the photos.

In a glance:
Material: crystal, sommerso, hot-formed and spun; brass neck ring
Dimensions and weight: h 32 x w 15 x d 10 cm, 2285 g
Brand: original shield-shaped label 'Val St Lambert, Belgique, Déposé'
Dating: ca. 1955–1965
Origin: from a private collection

Description and sources:
Val Saint Lambert, Seraing, Belgium: the original factory label identifies the maker. Form, technique, and label correspond to VSL lamp bases known to bear the same label in the same place. The spun sommerso form is part of the postwar line of the house, from the fifties and sixties.

Shipping:
Professionally packed in a sturdy box with cushioning material, for fragile objects a double box. Always insured, shipped with Track and Trace. More than 1,100 reviews from previous buyers; see the feedback.