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Unit #50, Elliptical Prelude and Chalice, from the First Table Model Clavilux (Luminar) series
1928
metal, fabric, glass, and electrical and lighting elements on maple table
Elliptical Prelude and Chalice functions as a piece of furniture until a switch is flipped to activate the mechanism. Inside the box, a bulb transmits light through two rotating discs, hand-painted by Wilfred in brilliant colors and abstract patterns. The light then travels through a set of dimpled, reflective cones -- one under the table, the other inside the body of the lamp -- and emerge through the top of the lampshade. The light is projected on the ceiling, which is filled with a vortex of rippling clouds that swirl around a central oculus to evoke the eye of a storm |