There’s something satisfyingly unruly about this one. Not just decorative, not quite polite enough for that. It feels assembled rather than designed, in the best possible sense, as if materials were coaxed into place and then left to argue it out between themselves.
A wrought iron frame rises in tight scrolls, almost ecclesiastical, before giving way to a sharply inverted, pyramidal shade. The body of the light is a rough mosaic of thick, irregular glass fragments, each piece set in a heavy lead matrix. Unlit, it reads as a dense, stony object. Switch it on and it loosens completely, colour bleeding through in saturated reds, cobalt blues, acid greens. It becomes less a light fitting and more a small, hanging lantern of fractured colour.
Very much in keeping with Peter Marsh’s work, there’s a deliberate tension between control and chance here. The structure is disciplined, the material language anything but. It sits comfortably in that Brutalist tradition where weight, texture and process are left visible, even celebrated.
It doesn’t so much illuminate a room as change its mood.
Details
Wrought iron, lead and coloured glass
By Peter Marsh
Likely UK, mid to late 20th century
Hand-assembled construction with irregular glass fragments set in lead
Suspended from chain with ceiling hook
Dimensions
Height (fitting, hook to tip): 37 cm
Chain length: 97 cm
Cable length: 115 cm (can be shortened to suit)
Shade (pyramidal body): 15 x 15 cm
Condition
Good vintage condition. Minor surface wear to the metalwork consistent with age. Glass elements all intact, with natural irregularities and inclusions as part of the making process.
Delivery
Qualifies as a smaller item. UK delivery via insured courier/FedEx at checkout; international shipping available—ask for a quote.
