This exquisite La mer lamp by Émile Gallé features twin shades modeled on the blooms of the crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis), a golden lily long associated with sovereignty, here rendered in dichroic glass that shifts with the light—appearing deep violet flecked with blue and gold in reflected light, and glowing red-orange, mottled with inky black, in transmitted light, like the unstable surface of the sea. Each fragile bloom is supported by intertwined bronze thistle stems that arc downward in a gesture of both protection and surrender.
