5099. Charles Frederick Eaton hand crafted lamp with shade fashioned of abalone shells, made at his Riso Rivo workshop in Santa Barbara, California, circa 1905. Eaton had studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, France, before settling in Santa Barbara. He was a widely-celebrated horticulturist whose love of flowers inspired him to create a variety of objects in metal that were both artistic and decorative. He established his Riso Rivo workshop in 1899, and by 1903, the lamps with shell shades he produced were attracting considerable attention, including that of an editor of House Beautiful magazine, who wrote: “Of late he (Eaton) has turned his attention towards electric lights, and has produced some ingenious and charming shades. His latest creation is an acanthus blossom modeled from a flower in the tropical garden. Three of the petals are rare opalescent shells in shades of amber and brown, the rest are of copper, tooled and treated like fine bronze.”
Charles Frederick Eaton was the father of Elizabeth Eaton Burton, who helped to popularize this style of lighting during the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Excellent original patina. Unsigned. 15″h x 7.5″d SOLD
