A rare Sigma Bakelite desk lamp designed in the 1940s by Christian Dell at the Bauhaus, Germany, for manufacturer Heinrich Römmler. It has a pivoting arm and adjustable shade for directional lighting, making it ideal for the desk or the bedside table. Constructed of deep chocolate brown Bakelite, it has an on/off switch, and is rewired with cloth covered electrical cable.

History

This lamp was originally produced by Römmler in Spremberg Germany, yet production of this classic Bakelite lamp shifted to a plant in Russia, in the city of Orekhovo-Zuyevo and also in Siberia, where it was manufactured between 1933 and the outbreak of World War II in 1939. These lamps were used in the personal study of Josef Stalin, the Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who governed the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953; and they can be seen in a replica of Stalin's study in the Museum of Political History, St Petersburg.

Origin: Germany / Eastern Bloc

Year: 1930 - 1960

Designer: Christian Dell, Bauhaus

Height when not extended 44cm  Length when fully extended 59cm

Length of base 21cm  Width of base 16cm  Diameter of shade 16cm

Max 40W low-energy screw bulb

Condition: very good, with small hairline to shade - however this is barely noticeable. See last two images.