Alberto GIACOMETTI (1901-1966), "Hand holding a cup" sconce, in plaster. H. 22 x 30 cm Condition: Restorations Provenance Collection H.-L. Mermod, then Madame Françoise Mermod, then Catherine Clerc-de Goumoëns, Lausanne Reference: A certificate of authenticity from the Giacometti Committee will be given to the buyer. Reference number 4676 (AGD) in the Foundation's archives. Bibliography: Charles JULIET, "Giacometti", New York, 1986, similar model reproduced on p. 33 Léopold Diego SANCHEZ, "Jean-Michel Frank, Adolphe Chanaux", Paris, 1980, model reproduced p. 204 Véronique WIESINGER, "Giacometti: La figure au défi", Paris, 2007, similar model reproduced p. 43 for Pierre-Emmanuel MARTIN-VIVIER, "Jean-Michel Frank: The Strange and Subtle Luxury of the Parisian Haute-Monde in the Art Deco Period", New York, 2012, pp. 233, 367 Note: Alberto Giacometti is one of the major figures of modern sculpture. While he is internationally renowned for his slender bronze figures, which explore notions of body and space, he also had an equally remarkable creative phase as a designer. During this period, he designed utilitarian objects, notably lighting and furniture, in collaboration with the famous interior designer Jean-Michel Frank. Frank was aiming for a refined aesthetic, based on the idea of the "luxury of nothing", favouring sober interiors composed only of essential objects. Close to the Surrealist circle, Giacometti drew on their visual codes: fragmentation, symbolism and dreamlike imagery fed his formal vocabulary. The wall lamp on display is a striking illustration of this, with an outstretched hand supporting a bowl in a balance that is as subtle as it is disturbing. It is a rare and singular piece, at the crossroads of sculpture and the decorative arts.