50's sculptural table lamp

Figure sculpture of a Black African woman made from chalkware and seatting on a wood base.
The lamp has its original cane shade.This is an original European ceramic figurine from the 1950s.
All little details are sculptured to perfection.
The chalkware and pottery is rather fragile and much softer than porcelain. Chalkware is a term
that refers to decorative items made out of gypsum, which were very popular from the late 18th century
through the 1930s. Gypsum is a mineral compound also called sulphate of lime, which is usually found
underground near limestone deposits. Raw gypsum is a pure white crystal called alabaster. When gypsum
is heated, the resulting white powder is called burnt gypsum, also known as Plaster of Paris for the large gypsum
deposit at Montmartre in Paris. Ordinary schoolroom chalk is also a form of burnt gypsum. Gypsum is easily cast into sculptures and decoration for frames, but is quite soft and breaks easily.

Dimensions: Width 20 x Height 31cm