Originating from the French term tôle peinte, which translates to painted sheet metal, this sconce embodies a decorative tradition that flourished across Europe from the 18th century onward. Originally conceived as a durable and less costly alternative to high-end ceramics and lacquerware imported from Asia, toleware quickly evolved into a distinct folk art. French ateliers often favored vibrant colors, like the sage green and cheerful pastels seen here, over the more common black backgrounds found in English and early American tinware. This piece, with its intricately hand-formed and painted floral vine motif, belongs to a mid-20th-century revival period, honoring the historical process while offering a more flamboyant, stylized take on the 18th-century technique of tôle peinte. Sourced in Concord, Massachusetts.
