£**,000.00

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A pair of double wall lights, 1906-7

Designed by Halsey Ricardo (1854-1928)

Made by The Birmingham Guild of Handicraft Ltd (founded 1890)

Provenance: Supplied to Sir Ernest Debenham for Debenham (Peacock) House, 8 Addison Road, London (...) removed circa 1960 (...) 30th March 1993 Phillips Auctioneers lots 148, 149, 150, all three pairs bought by Haslam & Whiteway (...) one pair only British Art Market 2014.

24 carat gold-plated brass, gold foil enamel and original opalescent glass shades. 

35cm wide at arms

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Sir Ernest Debenham (1865-1952) of the Debenham department store family, commissioned Halsey Ricardo to build a house at 8 Addison Road in 1906, this house came to be known as Debenham House or sometimes Peacock House. 

Architect and designer Halsey Ralph Ricardo established his architectural practice in 1878 but also worked in partnership with William De Morgan (1839-1917) designing ceramics. He advocated the use of architectural glazed tiles to resist the pollution of 19th century London, Debenham House being a striking example of this. 

The 1907 article in the Architectural Review entitled 'An essay in Colour Architecture' describes it as '...a house immune to the seriously destructive effects of a city atmosphere.' 

Ricardo clad the external walls with glazed Burmantofts tiles in bands of peacock greens and blues, he fitted the four reception rooms, seventeen bedrooms and six bathrooms all with De Morgan tiled fire surrounds (with no two alike) and De Morgan pictorial panels throughout the building. In addition to this he used various marbles and architectural elements clad with Doulton 'Carrara ware' tiles.

Described as the last flourish of the arts & crafts movement the house features plaster friezes by Ernest Gimson (1864-1919), stained glass by Edward Prior (1852-1932) and a mosaic designed by George Jack (1855-1931). Along with the exterior gates and railings the interior door furniture, including the handles, finger plates, bell-pushes and light fittings were all designed and made under the supervision of Ricardo by the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft.

It would have been hard for Ricardo to use any other firm for this commission as Debenham's father-in--law was Birmingham MP William Kendrick (1831-1919) chief shareholder and director of the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft and his brother-in-law was the Guild's managing director, Claude Napier-Clavering (1869-1938).

Our lights are one of the original three pairs designed specifically for the main hall, they feature butterflies circling a single rose before ivy leaves, a theme that is repeated throughout the building.