Lampe THEBES II – Nicolas Aubagnac

encounter with the past

up there on the mountain…

The Thebes II lamp was inspired by a hike in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

Nestled in a valley was this strange and imposing architecture, several stories high, and entirely made of rammed earth and wood.

I learned that it was an old granary!

This purely functional building nevertheless possessed the beauty of a palace.

Placed in the middle of a great void, this construction had an incredible presence.

I never forgot her.

materials Straw marquetry on wood, sunburst pattern
base in solid brass with a bronze patina
lampshade: taffeta

also available in parchment form

dimensions H = 80 cm | 31.5 in

origin French manufacturing

To create straw marquetry, our workshops use rye straw grown in France.

Each rye stalk is dried, then immerse into a dye bath.

Then you have to split each stem to expose the inner side and flatten it to shape ribbons.

These are the ribbons that will be patiently cut, assembled and glued to obtain the desired pattern.

So what you see is the inside of the straw which is naturally shiny because it is coated with silica.

It is the plant that produces silica to seal the inside of its stem and allow the sap to circulate within it.

Thanks to Mother Nature for this gift that offers us endless decorating possibilities!