Restoration of an Art Deco Floor Lamp by Edgar Brandt and Daum Nancy

The lamp was purchased in New York and stood in Boston for many years. During the move to Berlin, the glass shade broke. All that remained was a photograph and a single shard.

The design dates from around 1925: a bronze serpent by Edgar Brandt rising from a basket-like base and enclosing the glass shade by Daum Nancy. This particular piece is a later version of the design. A replacement shade is not available for this type of lamp.

Digital Reconstruction
From the photograph, we derived the proportions of the shade, and from the shard, its curvature and thickness. This resulted in a 3D model of the complete shade. This digital reconstruction served as the basis for the re-creation.

Glass
Based on the 3D model, the Novotny glassworks produced a new shade: a cone with a wide, flared rim, made of frosted amber glass. The form and proportions follow the original design.

Bronze
The plate that holds the shade was completely corroded. We hand-modeled a new plate in wax and had it cast using the lost-wax casting process in collaboration with Bronzen-Gunkel. It was then patinated and color-matched to the snake's body, so that the old and new parts appear as a unified whole.

The lamp was completely rewired and is back in use.

Key data
Design: Edgar Brandt and Daum Nancy, circa 1925 · Services: 3D reconstruction, mold making, bronze casting, assembly · Height: 159 cm · Collaboration: Novotny Glass, Bronzen-Gunkel GmbH · Year: 2026