A stunning late 19th Century “blond” turtle shell later mounted on an silver plated stand as a side lamp by the renowned designer Anthony Redmile. Anthony Redmile burst into the London interior design scene in the 1960s, producing some of the most eclectic items for his illustrious clients. Known to use items which were taken or inspired by the natural world, this item exemplifies Redmile's work. This particular lamp has a very interesting pedigree. Not only was it made by Redmile but it also featured in the 1974 James Bond film: Man With The Golden Gun, based on the novel by Ian Fleming and starring Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Herve’ Villechaize, amongst many others. The scene featuring this lamp in Scaramanga’s house (the villain of the film) can be seen in the second image.

These turtle shells were South American river turtles and would be captured to take on board the merchant ships of the 19th century. The turtles were then boiled (to make turtle soup) and eaten, with one turtle capable of feeding reputedly up to 100 sailors. However, the left overs were not simply thrown overboard. Often a sailor would take the shell and polish it by hand for hours on end giving it a gloss-white finish and sell it as an item of curiosity for a few shillings once docked at home which explains why most of them tend to turn up for sale in the northwest of England in the proximity of Liverpool, one of the busiest trading ports of the world at the time.

Today these make for wonderful conversation pieces, appealing to interior designers, collectors of natural history and maritime antiques.

Scientific name: Podocnemis Expansa, listed CITES Appendix II, Annex A (exempt). As this specimen is pre-1947 no article 10 is required.

Condition: heat from the old traditional filament bulbs has caused some cracking to the shell. This should no longer be an issue with the modern LED bulbs. The silver plated mounts have dulled and tarnished.

Dimensions: 53cm wide, 19cm deep, 113cm high