This monumental glazed ceramic lamp base was designed by John Dee Wareham for Rookwood Pottery.
The lamp base is decorated with a motif of white stylized calla lilies with incised borders against a pale green ground; the four "feet" which stabilize the base have been transformed into the stems of the flowers themselves.
The piece is notable for its use of the Conventional Mat glaze, which was introduced by Rookwood around the turn of the twentieth century.
In a 1904 promotional book, Rookwood outlined their various glazes and their uses, signifying that the Conventional Mat glaze would appeal to tastes for "simple, flat decorations rather than naturalistic treatment," reflecting "an important movement in modern art."
Height: 16 inches (41 cm)
Diameter: 9 ¼ inches (23 cm)