Terms and conditions of use
Totem, pair of sconces
(c. 1974)
Medium
stainless steel, brass-plated bronze, electrical components
Measurements
(a) 58.8 × 34.8 × 21.9 cm (left sconce)
(b) 58.8 × 35.6 × 21.5 cm (right sconce)
Credit Line
Gift of Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Family through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2026
© Public domain
Gallery location
Contemporary Art gallery
Level 3, NGV International
About this work
Maria Pergay continued to work with stainless steel in the 1970s, designing this impressive pair of sconces. Significant in scale, their rounded forms feature a brushed satin finish over the exterior, while the interior surfaces are highly polished, enhancing light reflection and casting dramatic shadows through the animal skulls. Throughout her career Pergay followed her own design impetus and did not subscribe to international design trends of the day. Although she worked with industrial materials and technologies, her work nevertheless embodies an aesthetic that aligns with the great tradition of French luxury furniture design dating back to the seventeenth century.