This original edition light sculpture “D625”, better known as the “Nonne” lamp is among the most emblematic creations of Raoul Raba and a famous example of timeless modernity.

Light sculpture is the only fitting description for this lamp, for as it could hardly be described as a classic shape or form. A minor classic of space age design, this table lamp is brilliant in its simplicity. This “Nonne” is a design typical of its era, but highly individual at the same time. The stem and the shade offer undeniable movement that is exciting from every angle. The fluid shape and flowing lines are the result of being made from a single piece of metal disk that only partially exposes the lightbulb. Thanks to this construction, the light that the lamp emits is very distinctive as well.

This “Nonne” is as much an art sculpture as it is a table lamp, and perhaps the finest creation of sculptor and designer, Raoul Raba, the winner of the Grand Prix de Rome 1955. The lamp is marked with the creator’s label: “Création Raoul Raba, Modèle Déposé”.

 SOLD

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor marks and scratches on the lacquer.

Dimensions:

21.65 in W x 15.66 in D x 12.28 in H

55 cm W x 39.8 cm D x 31.2 cm H

About the designer:

Raoul Henriques-Raba, also known as Raoul Raba, was born May 8, 1930 in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France. He is a French sculptor, winner of the Prix de Rome in 1955 for his plaster bas-relief War and Peace.

Son and nephew of artists, Raoul Raba married Claudine, whom she met at the Beaux-Arts. They bought by candlelight, in an auction, the Chappe’s Andrésy tower, where they lived for many years in this original house-workshop. While he evolved completely in this environment, however, art gradually led him to mathematics. The story of how his career turned towards art is rather interesting: It was while looking for an idea to occupy the empty room in his new home that he accidentally found a vein to support his family. He first created a geometric shape in white plaster, then imagined transforming it into a light fixture. After bringing rhodoïd leaves from the Weber drugstore in Paris, he made cut-outs by hand and assembled a very contemporary looking prototype for the 1960s. Convinced by its realization, he went to present it, not without having calculated that he could equip himself if he hit 50 orders. François Roche of the Société Roche Bobois ordered 300 from him for a show, a figure which after the exhibition was transformed into an order for more than 1,000 lights. After this success, Raba went on to create many more, and the rest is now history.

Raba’s “Nonne” model is very exemplary of his talents and aesthetic and was reissued in the 21st century thanks to its continuing popularity. ~H.