Sculptural Art Deco Table Lamp in Hand-Forged Wrought Iron by Michel Zadounaïsky

A striking Art Deco table lamp in hand-forged wrought iron by Michel Zadounaïsky, one of the most distinctive ironworkers of the French Art Deco period. The lamp rises from a circular, densely hammered base with a rich hand-textured surface, its fluted central column banded with hammered iron collars and flanked by a pair of bold scrolling volutes that curl outward in Zadounaïsky's signature calligraphic style. The dark, variegated patina showcases the hand-worked surface characteristic of his studio production, with each hammer mark visible across the base and column.

Born in 1903 in Ekaterinodar in the Russian Empire, Zadounaïsky emigrated with his family to Lyon in 1916. After a brief period at the Beaux-Arts de Lyon, he apprenticed in blacksmithing with the Fournet chandelier makers before opening his own workshop, developing close ties with Art Deco contemporaries including André Sornay and Claudius Linossier. Through the 1920s and '30s he became known for a bold sculptural approach to wrought iron — interlacing curves, sharp points, and animal motifs (particularly snakes and antelope) — that set his work apart from more purely functional blacksmithing of the period. He is regarded as one of the few ironworkers of his generation to treat wrought iron as a sculptural medium rather than solely a decorative craft, and his lighting, screens, and furniture remain sought after by collectors of French Art Deco design.