Art Deco Double-Sided Illuminated Radio Dealer Sign for Saba, Germany, 1930s

Details

Description

An original double-sided illuminated dealer advertising sign for saba, made in germany in the 1930s. This exact model is documented … Read more An original double-sided illuminated dealer advertising sign for saba, made in germany in the 1930s. This exact model is documented in an original 1935 saba advertising catalogue, shown in the photographs.

saba (schwarzwälder apparate-bau-anstalt) was founded in 1923 in the black forest and became one of the leading european radio manufacturers of the early twentieth century. By 1935 saba held roughly ten percent of the german market, second only to telefunken. In that period radio was cutting-edge technology, and illuminated dealer signs of this kind were installed in shopfronts to signal modernity and prestige.

few of these fragile painted-glass signs survived the intervening decades of war and material decay, and no other example of this specific sign is known to have appeared on the market.

the sign is genuinely double-sided, with painted glass panels on both faces set into an enamelled metal housing in an art deco design. The lower panels carry space for the dealer's own inscription. It has been cleaned inside and out, electrically checked, and fitted with internal lighting on five e27 fittings, all in working order.

this is an original vintage object, and its condition reflects close to ninety years of age. The painted glass shows heavy, authentic patina. One panel has two historic cracks that have been carefully stabilized and glued and remain visible in the photographs; the second panel is intact with age-related wear. These marks are consistent with the object's age and are part of its documented authenticity.
this is a single piece with no known comparable example.

specifications
manufacturer: saba (schwarzwälder apparate-bau-anstalt), germany
object: double-sided illuminated dealer advertising sign
period: 1930s, model documented in the 1935 saba catalogue
style: art deco
construction: enamelled metal housing, painted glass panels both sides
illumination: internal lighting, five e27 fittings, bulbs included, fully working

width (sign only): 61 cm (24.0 in)
width (including wall bracket): 90 cm (35.4 in)
height: 84 cm (33.0 in)
depth: 16 cm (6.3 in)
bracket: 29 cm w × 28 cm h (11.4 × 11.0 in) this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less