Modernist Lamp in the style of Ruba Rhombic

 A rare Ruba Rhombic inspired table lamp in frosted glass with an ebonized base.  One of the most dynamic designs to be produced in the United States following the lead of the Paris Exposition of 1925 was the 1928 introduction of glass designed by Reuben Haley for the Consolidated Glass Company.

When it was exhibited at the Pittsburgh Glass Fair this was a review it received:

“it is the craziest thing ever brought out in glassware . . . The first reaction is all but shock, yet the more pieces are studied, the more they appeal and there comes a realization that with all their distorted appearance they have a balance that is perfect and are true specimens of cubist art.”  

Most of the pieces found today are vases in a variety of colors but this piece, functioning as a table lamp is quite unique. In excellent condition, it throws  interesting, faceted light and shadow.

Consolidated Glass produced the Ruba Rhombic line for just a few years and not many pieces survive . It is an example of the avant garde approach to decorative arts in the Jazz Age and a special collector’s item.