L.076

A lamp that looks quite different from the rest of the Belgian table lamps. The shape is interesting and pleasing, which also prejudiced me for the lamp. Sometimes you buy lamps that really have an unusual, rare shape and they can therefore be integrated into a sophisticated collection. Well, sometimes the reality is a little different.

This interesting lamp consists of two parts that are unfortunately very different in time: The typical drop-in font is from the Belgian lamp manufacturer Lempereur & Bernard in Liège. This font is from approx. 1890-1900. The tripod lamp body, however, is from a much later period, probably from the last quarter of the 20th century. The assignment of the lamp body to a much later time period can be explained on the basis of the casting technique and casting quality, which are visibly different from the older casts.

In the Netherlands there were lamp manufacturers in the 1980s who produced new lamps made of cast brass, which in their appearance clearly resembled the lamps from around 1900. The burners for these lamps were also made of cast brass instead of sheet brass. The interesting, tripod lamp body on my lamp is probably also a product from this time and was intended to carry any font made of glass or metal of the appropriate dimensions.

The font on the other hand is undoubtedly from Lempereur & Bernard, who named their center-draft lamps "Lampe Belge" (= Belgian lamp). This designation is stamped at the bottom of all fonts from this company.

So two parts from different periods of time have been combined into one optically pleasing lamp. The lamp looks good, but - at least in my eyes - it is not authentic. The big, green tulip shade I bought for this lamp is probably from the second half of the last century. I think it fits the rest of the lamp quite well.

Lamp data

Added by me:
Tulip shade, globe holder, glass chimney.

Cleaning and repairs:
I cleaned the dark tarnished lamp body and polished it with polishing paste.

Lamp body:
Triangular base made of ornamental cast brass, with faces and baroque decorative elements. The vase made of openwork cast brass is held by three narrow arms with grimacing faces. Height 28 cm, base side length at the widest point 20 cm.
Drop-in font made of decoratively embossed brass sheet, marked: Marque Deposée L&B + logo with sun face, Ø 150 mm. Extra oil filler, cap marked: La Lampe Belge L&B. The font is marked at the bottom: La Lampe Belge Lempereur & Bernard.

Burner:
18’’’ center-draft burner of Lempereur & Bernard, Liège.
Wick knob marked: Marque Deposée L&B.
Original flame disc with two-stage hat on tube, marked: Lempereur & Bernard Breveté.
Round wick Ø 31 mm.

Glass chimney:
18’’’ Matador chimney with slim bulge. Height 264 mm, Ø fitter 64 mm.
Marked: Qualité Supérieure - L. B. - Cristal Recuit – 18’’’ L.B.

Shade and shade holder:
British tulip shade, clear green glass, ribbed crosswise, fluted top rim. Probably from the 2nd half of the 20th century. Height 172 mm, Ø fitter 99 and top rim 203 mm.
100 mm globe holder for 20’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 34.3 cm, total height with chimney 64.8 cm.
Total weight 3380 g.