Adolf Loos Dodekaeder Pendant Lamp Chandelier, Friedrich Otto Schmidt, 1900s

A beautiful and rare example of the Art Nouveau Dodekaeder hanging lamp, designed in 1902 by Adolf Loos (1870–1933). Manufactured in the early 1900s by Friedrich Otto Schmidt in Vienna, Austria.

The light is made entirely of brass, with a body composed of 12 pentagonal frames featuring faceted glass panels. One side of the lamp can be opened via a hinged panel. The chandelier is in very good original condition, with all 12 pentagonal glass panels still the original and intact. The brass has been carefully hand-polished and shows some charming patina, the lamp has been newly rewired with a golden fabric cord, making it ready for use worldwide.

This lamp became famous not only for its simplicity and beauty but also for its presence in the renowned Taylor shops of Knize in Vienna, Karlsbad, Berlin and Paris.

Measurements:
Total drop height: 46"
Diameter: 17"
Height without chain: 12"

Adolf Loos, a fashion-conscious architect, had a close connection with the tailor salon Knize. He designed several Knize boutiques, including those at Graben in Vienna, in Karlovy Vary, in Wilhelmstraße in Berlin, and on Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Hugo Steiner, who managed the Paris branch from 1927, had previously commissioned Loos in 1910 to design a house in Vienna-Hietzing, which became a milestone in modern architecture. A distinctive feature of the Knize boutiques was the polygonal brass and faceted glass ceiling lamps, which created a unique atmosphere. Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956), with whom Loos had an ambivalent relationship, used similar lighting designs in his interior concepts around 1900.