Rare Lamp Base, circa 1956

Marion Hall Best (1905–1988) was an influential interior designer in Sydney, Australia from the 1930s until the 1970s. Best was known for her use of bold, stimulating colors, which she employed to transform three-dimensional spaces. Her schemes were complemented by the latest modernist furnishings, which she sourced internationally and sold in her two shops, one in Queen Street, Woollahra (1939-1974), and the other in Rowe Street, Sydney (1949-1961).

The present lot, visible in Marion Best’s vitrine on archival images, is a particularly strong example of the model, with great presence and expression to the face.