Featured Any info on BIG, HEAVY lamp signed A. Moreau; w/2 ladies & a child - but lamp has hooves for feet??

This came in to my friend's thrift store today - I've never seen anything like it!
Besides being signed A. Moreau; who I found was a known sculpture (but even though the ladies look bronze, one's fingers are broken & it looks like lead or pot metal underneath?
Also on the "leaves" of the lamp it says Art D France - did these come with the lamp or were the replacements? (another unusual thing - the light fixture part of the lamp fits into a slot at the lamp's base & a screw that holds it in place, but is easy to remove - (which is why I was wondering if the Art D France part was a replacement) - why would they do that?
Also - what the heck are the hooves for the lamp's feet mean?
I paid $50 for it; I am pretty sure it was a good deal but I wanted to check here because I've been wrong before!

Any information would be greatly appreciated (especially any about those feet!)



A PHOTO INSIDE SHOWS HOW MUCH THEY LOOK LIKE BRONZE - UNTIL YOU LOOK AT THE BROKEN FINGERS; WHAT IS IT MADE OF?

 

I think a steal at $50.00! It's beautiful!

 

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/12353...halices-lamp-by-a-moreau-gorgeous-decorations

https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/25569...-de-france-lamp-art-nouveau-diverse-materials

Some type of rather recent copies of his work, I would assume.

 

The wiring looks new

 

The trumpet vine lighting clashes badly with the dancers IMHO.

 

Looks like a pot metal reproduction/adaptation from the late 20th Century. Auguste Moreau's bronze work has been heavily copied, in bronze or lesser metals. The original inspiration for this lamp would have been ca. 1900.

 

That's it! Thank you Ghppper 1924!

 

Yikes! That thing has (as my mother would say) everything but the kitchen sink! ...maybe I should look harder.

 

It's earlier. The lamp and shades were made and sold by Art DE France, and I've had lamps from them. I'd need to dig out what I found out, but some are as early as the 30s. Certainly not late 20th.

They also commisioned glass and pottery vases and such. If you google Art de France vase and lamps you'll find more history.

 

Ghopper has the date right, I disagree this could be earlier, certainly not 1930s. Wiring is late 20th century, and original to the piece. This has all the signs of being made in the time of the Dale Tiffany reproductions. There were many lamps like this being sold in the traveling fake “estate auctions” that set up in VFW halls and hotel ballrooms in the 90’s here in the US.

That said, these sell used for much more than I would have guessed, so a good purchase when intent is to resell. Just not a good purchase for an authentic antique collector.

 

I've had their lamps with older wiring and the company has been around a fair old while. I suspect they show up more often here than there.

This, for example, is a torchere by them which I had. Not electric in this instance. I'm still trying to root out what I had on the company history.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175359123987 Here's another with the same style lighting section and wiring. They are all recent and not antique. I would think "art de france" is something that's been used by various companies, maybe for quite some time.

 

I wish I could find the damn research I did. And I can't find the image of the wired one I had most recently. It had older European wiring on it. Fifites ish. Phooey.

 

Oh, hang on, this is helpful. Older style European bayonet fitting.

https://www.antiques-delaval.com/en...ronze-and-glass-paste-sign-art-of-france.html

And Charlie Hanson has had some shades.

https://hansonslive.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk/m/lot-details/index/catalog/73/lot/30854

I'm not, by the way, saying THIS lamp is older, but I am saying the company has been around a fair while.

 

It certainly looks like you were saying that you think the OPs lamp is old... If you look around, you'll find a bunch of modern lamps with the same style shades. But yeah, there are older examples that are marked Art De France. This one is not one of those.

 

No need to be snarky.

To clarify: I do not think this is late 20th. Nor do I think it's 30s. I said EARLIER: meaning earlier than the late 20th. Two core wiring isn't used for metal lamps here, now, but I know the USA differs.

 

Oops. Meant to type "older", like you did, not "old".

None of this helps OP in any way. His lamp is mass produced in an older style. Being off by 10 years means nothing. People apparently still buy them though, so he did good.

 

I’d be shocked if someone won’t give an easy $100-$150. Hooves on anything made with legs were pretty dang common. From furniture to salt cellars in size and anywhere in between. I guess it would be considered classical or neoclassical as a design motif? Probably goat/ram hooves.

 

In the UK, this would be well over the $150 mark, as a decorator piece alone. The small Art de France bits I've had did well.

 

Hooves on furniture in the U.S. date back to to at least the 1840s, when top manufacturers like J and J Meeks were producing them.