Page 31 - VE Magazine - Issue 42

JAMES MONT
James Mont’s lamps are arguably the most precious pieces from his oeuvre and demonstrate a fusion between chinoiserie and Hollywood Regency. Each lamp was
truly a work of art and was realised using an array of elaborate treatments and finishes. Lamps, despite their functional nature, engendered Mont’s fascination with Eastern cultures and flaunted his innovative lacquering or gilding techniques. Exotic found objects would often be incorporated. Although many of his lamps, which were always ornate, were made
in the 1940s and 50s, they defy the prevailing interest
in modernism, embracing ornament and glamour instead
Far left: The ceramic Thai deity is another reclaimed exotic object used for ornamentation. The figure was antiqued and gilded on a similarly treated gilded wood base. Mont used sculpted and applied plaster to create the band that surrounds the shimmering gold-leaf paper shade. Once applied, the plaster was hand carved and polished
Left: A silver-plated metal falcon sits on a perch, while the structure alludes to both
a Japanese torii, or sacred gateway, and the Greek letter pi. The shade was constructed with interwoven patinated parchment strips and a white gold–leaf finish
Left: As a custom designer, his taste always ran to opulence and drama. Pieces often had four different undercoats in different colours, then three or four layers of gold or silver leaf, followed by graining with wire wool to create an antiqued look
With thanks to Todd Merrill Studio who are about to publish a second edition of their 2008 book: Modern Americana on 15th November. This book debuted the first real information about Mont that had been published after his death. The 2018-second edition has 60 additional pages, many new photos and updated information. www.toddmerrillstudio.com
www.vintagexplorer.co.uk
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