May 2025 saw one of the biggest bidding wars on a seemingly innocuous lamp. Sotheby’s Modern Evening Auction on May 13th auctioned off a rare and highly sought-after item – a Frank Lloyd Wright Double-Pedestal Lamp.
The item was appraised at anywhere from $3 million to $5 million, but it exceeded expectations as collectors fought hard to claim it, with the final price for the object quadrupling its previous price in 2002. The Lamp ended up selling for an astonishing $7.5 million dollars, smashing previous records for the most expensive Wright item sold at auction.
The Susan Lawrence Dana House
While it might be easy to overlook the Lamp and try to wrap your head around why the Lamp is worth so much to the right people, its origins do make it a rare and influential piece. The lamp dates back over a hundred years, dating back to when it was designed in 1903.
It was a lamp specially created for the Susan Lawrence Dana House in Springfield, Illinois, which itself was only finished being built in 1904. The historical home is 12,000 square feet square and houses the largest collection of Wright art and furniture at one site.
Susan Lawrence Dana
The Lamp was not created in isolation, as the socialite and heiress Susan Lawrence Dana wanted Wright to furnish her home without worrying about expenses. Money was no object as Wright designed many pieces for the home, and with complete creative freedom, he was able to make some one-of-a-kind items that would still be remembered over one hundred years later and be highly sought after today.
The Double-Pedestal Lamp is one such creation that Wright created for Dana, and when it went on auction, it gave collectors a chance to bring a piece of iconic history home.
One Of Three
With the circumstances that the Lamp was designed and created under, it might make more sense as to why it could be worth so much at auction, but there are other factors, such as the sheer rarity of the Lamp. Two of these lamps were created for the Susan Lawrence Dana estate, and one more was created at a later date for the Robie House built in Chicago.
One of the two Dana lamps has since become a permanent fixture at the estate, now being a museum called the Dana-Thomas House. This means that only three exist, and one of them might never come to auction.
An Incredible Design
The Lamp’s incredible design gives it both form and function. It is around 22 inches tall and 32 inches wide, making it unique in that it is wider than it is tall. The lampshade is designed to look like a roof and is comprised of vibrant pieces of glass that are green, gold, blue, and purple in color.
The Lamp has a sturdy and somewhat simple base by comparison. The Lamp is meant to be inspired by natural prairie plants with its patterns adorning it.
Embracing New Technology
Wright’s Lamp was designed in the early 20th century when electric lighting hadn’t become as much of an integral part of homes as it is today. The Lamp was at the forefront of custom-designed lamps, showing an ability to adopt new technology while creating amazing art.
Wright wanted to make the Lamp one-of-a-kind and created a unique interplay between the colored glass lampshade and the light around it. This meant that the Lamp could create different moods within interiors depending on the time of day and how much light was accessible in the environment.
The Place Of Fine Art In The World
Collectors are shifting their habits, praising unique and historic items as fine art, which propels them in value as their demand grows among the few that can afford them. The value of the Lamp and other Wright’s items have also gone up in value after being included in Sotheby’s high-class auctions, attracting the attention of wealthy collectors.
This has created competition and fueled bidding wars, meaning that items can often sell for far more than they have been appraised, just like the Double-Pedestal Lamp.
A Journey
The Lamp hasn’t sat in one place and stagnated over time. Its original place was in Susan Lawrence Dana’s home, but it eventually fell into the hands of a famous collector and publisher named Charles C. Thomas. The item was passed down in his family until it finally resurfaced and was put on auction.
With the authentication of the Lamp’s journey, it’s undeniable that this is the same Lamp from over one hundred years ago. The Lamp’s journey could have even boosted its value, with collectors that are interested in Susan Dana Lawrence, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Charles C. Thomas all overlapping.
Cultural Significance
The way that the Lamp was designed showcases a lot of cultural inspiration. Wright was inspired by Japanese shoji screens, citing that he respected them for their physical appeal and spiritual significance. He used the screens as a reference when creating the glass panels on each side of the Lamp that swung out on hinges.
Scholars who have studied the Lamp have also inferred that the panels could also be inspired by echo ribbons that are often hung in Japanese Shrines to keep away malevolent spirits. The Lamp highlights Wright’s thought process and fascination when designing it.
Leaving A Legacy
When the Lamp was commissioned by Susan Lawrence Dana, she might not known what kind of legacy she was going to create. The Lamp is more than just an example of fine arts; it is the product of Wright’s design intuition and genius.
The Lamp selling for over $7 million may seem like an absurd amount of money, but understanding the rich heritage and context behind the Lamp might help people understand its justification to collectors around the country.
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