Broken egg alabaster sculpture lamp by Marco Ricciardi, Italy, 1980s

This sculptural lamp was handmade in Italy during the 1980s by Tuscan artisan Marco Ricciardi. Carved from natural alabaster, the composition represents a large broken egg, with a fluidly contoured base that mimics spilled egg white, an intense hand-painted orange yolk, and two white shell halves with carefully carved irregular edges. The piece retains the workshop label on the back and the artist's signature. One of the shell halves rests on the yolk, hiding the lamp holder and acting as a sculptural shade, while the other remains open beside it. When lit, the natural translucency of the alabaster allows light to pass through the shade, revealing the stone's veins and creating a warm, diffuse illumination. The polished base, with soft cream and honey tones, contrasts with the whiteness of the shell and the glossy finish of the orange yolk. With its 64 cm width, the composition transforms an everyday motif into a playful trompe-l'œil sculpture. Its fluid contours suggest the movement of a freshly broken egg spreading across the surface, creating a striking contrast between the apparent fragility of the motif and the solidity of the carved stone. This combination of visual humour, enlarged scale, and functional sculpture defines its postmodern character.