A 20th Century Sang de Boeuf Vase Lamp Base

A mid-20th century sang de boeuf porcelain vase now mounted as a lamp base for electric lighting.

The name ‘sang de boeuf’ refers to the colour of the lamp, which is French for ‘ox blood’. The difficult manufacturing process of this shade, which is achieved through an oxidisation process of iron and copper, was first recorded in China between the 11th and 13th centuries. European earthenware producers were not able to replicate the long firing process involved in the production of sang de boeuf until the 20th century, leaving China to monopolise on such wares for centuries.

(Dimensions for vase only)