Thread of History

Hector Finch’s latest lighting has its roots in the past

Hector Finch started life as a specialist in antique lighting, so it’s fitting that its latest collection, with an unprecedented 16 new products launching at the same time, has its roots in the past, with many pieces having an enticing history.

The ‘Lincoln’ lantern (above left) marks the next phase of a continuation of Hector Finch’s relationship with The Sir John Soane’s Museum, former home of the neoclassical architect. The new light is a close lookalike of the one that hangs in the house’s doorway. “It is a very unusual and striking piece – I don’t know why I never noticed it before,'” said Hector Finch, introducing the collection in the Hector Finch showroom at Focus/24. While Soane’s original (it is not known whether the architect had a hand in its design) is in copper, the new version is made from brass so that it can take different finishes; however, its essential design DNA is the same, with its simplified anthemion motif at each corner. Sales directly benefit Soane’s legacy, with 10% of the revenue going to the museum.

The ‘Charlotte’ candlestick table lamp (above centre) has an even more curious origin story: Finch found a ceramic version of the candlestick 35 years ago in a village hall sale, quickly realising that it was a rare example of Wedgwood Queen’s Ware from the mid 18th century. “I’ve been trying ever since to make a ceramic version, but we could never find someone who could get it quite right,” explained Finch at the launch. Having given up his quest, unable to match the skill behind the perfectly proportioned lathe-turned clay of the original, the lamp has finally found its way to market as a handsome timber version that can be painted in any RAL colour.

Among the other pieces launching this season are the ‘Asagona’ wall light (above right), an art deco inspired design created by LA-based Italian architect Davide Casaroli, whose backlit plate glass fins produce brilliant illumination; the ‘Artemis’ globe, a more decorative version of the existing ‘Apollo’; and ‘Astor’ a plafonnier dish light with a pared-back design with an acid-etched dish and optional Greek key detail.

Hector Finch, Third Floor, Design Centre East