Vintage Demi Lune Mother of Pearl Wall Lights

An Italian wall light in a demi-lune, half-moon silhouette, handcrafted from capiz mother-of-pearl shell set into a brass frame. The shell is laid in a geometric pattern with fine gaps between the segments, so when the light is on it diffuses through the pearl and casts soft, intricate shadows across the wall. The mother-of-pearl carries a natural luminosity that shifts as the light changes.

The piece comes from Italy in the 1950s, part of the country's mid-century tradition of decorative lighting that paired natural materials with clean, architectural forms. Rather than a single named workshop, it belongs to that broader Italian craft of the period, when shell, glass and brass were worked into fixtures made as much for their surface as their light.

The making is in the shell work. Each piece of capiz is cut and set by hand into the brass frame, and the small gaps between the segments are deliberate, drawing the pattern of light and shadow the piece is known for. Over the decades the shell has developed a rich patina and the brass has warmed, marks of genuine age that a reproduction cannot imitate.

The light suits a bedroom, a hallway, or a living space where its soft, ambient glow can be felt, and it settles into a mid-century, coastal, or pared-back contemporary Australian interior. Each is in very good-excellent vintage condition. Four are available, allowing for pairs or a matched run across a space, and they arrive early October.

Origin: Italy

Period: 1950's

Materials: Capiz shell and brass

Dimensions: Height 16cm | Width: 30cm | Depth: 13cm

Condition: Very good to excellent vintage condition

Ships from Brisbane with secure Australia-wide delivery.