Charles Rennie Mackintosh light-fitting

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868 - 1928) was a Scottish artist, designer and architect. These distinctive rose-like light-fittings were designed for a room setting called the 'Rose Boudoir', which Mackintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald presented at an important international art exhibition in Turin in 1902.

Examples of the fittings were also incorporated into the decorative design in the hall and stairwell of the Mackintoshes' home in Glasgow. The subtle tones of the interior colour scheme set off their pink and silver detailing.

Each fitting is made from silver-plated brass with hanging reflectors of white opalescent glass which have been flashed on one side with a thin layer of pink enamel. The lights hang from the wall like drooping rose petals or flowers. Mackintosh had a great interest in nature and this greatly influenced a lot of his designs.

This object from the collection of the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery was selected by Monica Callaghan who created the Mackintosh House Relic Challenge.