BONHAMS TO SELL GIACOMETTI LAMPS ONCE OWNED BY JAMES MASON

TWO STUNNING LAMPS PRODUCED AND DESIGNED COLLABORATIVELY BY SWISS SCULPTOR ALBERTO GIACOMETTI AND HIS YOUNGER BROTHER DIEGO, AND A TABLE DESIGNED BY DIEGO GIACOMETTI, WHICH WERE OWNED BY THE LATE BRITISH ACTOR JAMES MASON (1909-1984) SINCE THE LATE 1960s, ARE BEING OFFERED AT BONHAMS, NEW BOND STREET AS PART OF ITS POST WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART AND DESIGN SALE ON 10.MARCH.2010. THE LAMPS (LOT 11 AND 12, BOTH ENTITLED LAMPDAIRE NOUED) ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BY ALBERTO BETWEEN 1935 AND 1937, AND TRANSLATED INTO BRONZE BY DIEGO. THE BROTHERS WERE COMMISSIONED BY THE FRENCH INTERIOR DESIGNER JEAN-MICHEL FRANK TO PRODUCE A RANGE OF DECORATIVE OBJECTS FOR HIS GALLERY IN 1932, HAVING BEEN INTRODUCED TO FRANK BY AMERICAN ARTIST MAN RAY THREE YEARS EARLIER. THEY DESIGNED AROUND 20 LIGHTS IN TOTAL, AND CONTINUED TO WORK WITH FRANK UNTIL THE OUTBREAK OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR. THE LAMPS HAVE A PRE-SALE ESTIMATE OF £25,000 - 35,000 EACH. AFTER THE WAR ALBERTO LARGELY ABANDONED HIS FURNITURE WORK, LEAVING IT TO DIEGO. AN EXAMPLE OF DIEGO'S CONTINUED EXCELLENCE IN FURNITURE DESIGN IS INCLUDED IN THE SALE: TABLE TORSADE, CAST CIRCA 1965, AND ESTIMATED AT £50,000 – 70,000. ACTOR JAMES MASON WHO STARRED IN SUCH FILMS AS NORTH BY NORTHEAST, LOLITA AND THE TRIAL OF OSCAR WILDE, IS WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE FINEST ACTORS OF THE 20th CENTURY. HE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE WORKS BY A FRIEND.