Mackintosh light shades, notes and provenance

Provenance: acquired by Geoffrey Squire, Lecturer at the School of Art, in the 1960’s and thence by descent to his son, the vendor.

Note: Roger Billcliffe has examined these shades and is of the opinion that both are by Mackintosh although he believes that the example with the silvered finish may pre-date the other.  He has kindly provided information about the location of the shades within the School of Art.  They once hung in the Ladies  Luncheon Room, latterly used as the Deputy Director’s Room but they may have been designed for another Mackintosh commission and then acquired by the School some time prior to 1952.  The subject lot or two of their companions were lent to an Exhibition at the V&A in 1952 (see literature below) and later included in a Mackintosh centenary retrospective exhibition organised by the Scottish Arts Council and the Edinburgh Festival Society in 1968 which moved from the Royal Scottish Museum to the V&A and where they are described in the catalogue (see literature below). One shade identical to the subject lot is illustrated in Roger Billcliffe, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, The Complete Furniture, Drawings and Interior Designs (see literature below) and we reproduce this photograph with kind permission

Literature:

Billcliffe, Roger Charles Rennie Mackintosh, The Complete Furniture, Drawings and Interior Designs, pub. Cameron & Taylor 1979, ill. p. 210, ill. 1910.12 (see bookplate illustration, showing dresser for the Ladies Common Room with light fitting showing to top right of image)

Description to photograph 1910:12

Victoria and Albert Museum, Exhibition of Victorian and Edwardian Decorative Arts 1952-53 (exhibition catalogue)

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Architecture, Design and Painting, A Centenary Exhibition, Victoria & Albert Museum, 30th October – 29th December 1968, Exhibition catalogue, item 200, page 49.

Cover of 1968 Exhibition Catalogue from the V&A

Item 200 from the 1968 Exhibition catalogue text