Brass Wall Sconce, Hand-Form Torch — French Art Deco Style, 1930s

By the 1930s, French Art Deco designers had turned to the human figure as a source of sculptural drama for even the smallest household objects — a hand gripping a torch, cast in solid metal, doing the work of a simple wall bracket while looking like a fragment of monument. The style associated with André Arbus was known for exactly this kind of gesture: everyday hardware treated as an occasion for sculpture.

This sconce, in that Art Deco tradition, follows the form closely. A clenched fist grips a fluted torch-form socket, mounted on a circular backplate finished with a beaded border.

Note how the knuckles and finger creases are individually modeled rather than smoothed into a single fist-shaped mass — the detail that separates a genuinely sculpted casting from a simplified stamped reproduction. The brass has taken on a warm, even tone consistent with age and handling throughout.

Whoever mounted this sconce before you kept it well. The brass shows light, honest wear consistent with age, with no damage to the hand or torch detailing. It is ready for an entryway, hallway, or statement wall.

It arrives professionally packed and fully insured — we handle the paperwork and worldwide shipping.

Returns are accepted within 30 days.

DETAILS:
Height: 15 cm (5.9 in) · Width: 8.5 cm (3.3 in) · Depth: 11 cm (4.3 in)
Materials: brass
Condition: good vintage condition; light, honest wear consistent with age

Condition details available on request.

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