L.078
A former Moderator oil lamp made of old Chinese porcelain, converted into a kerosene/paraffin lamp. The Chinese vase can be dated to around 1850. The lamp was probably made shortly afterwards.
The strictly cylindrical vase is made of porcelain that is finely painted in the Cantonese style. Courtly genre scenes (probably court ladies with their eunuchs) and lavish decorations fill the entire surface of the vase. These vases, made for European tastes, were sold in the Chinese port city of Canton in the mid-19th century to European traders, who were only allowed to stay in a small district of the city that was separated off for them. The terms "Canton style" and "Canton ware" have their origins in this period.
The tin font is the original oil reservoir and occupies the entire height. The porcelain vase has no bottom because it was sawn off to insert the Moderator reservoir at that time. I was unable to disassemble the lamp.
The burner supplied was of poor quality, and was replaced with a better one from S.I. Paris. The tulip shade supplied was beautiful, but too small for the lamp. I was able to find a properly fitting ball shade from St. Louis on eBay France as a replacement, which is frosted inside and vertically divided, but without painted or etched motifs. I adapted a new globe holder with soldered brass bars for the globe.
Lamp Data
Added by me:
Burner, ball shade and globe holder.
Cleaning and repairs:
I cut open the iron plate at the bottom (in order to dismantle the lamp, which was not successful). The hole closed with a soldered brass plate.
Lamp body:
Base of ornamentally pierced cast brass, round, Ø 120 mm.
Vase of old Chinese porcelain (Canton, Famille rose, ca. 1850), fine, typical polychrome painting, Ø 93 mm. The porcelain vase has no bottom.
Font made of sheet iron, round. Takes up the entire height of the vase. Soldered bottom plate. Lamp parts cannot be separated. Font lid of openwork cast brass, Ø 98 mm.
Burner:
10’’’ Kosmos burner of S.I. (= Societé industrielle d’articles d‘éclairage), Paris.
Wick knob marked: Logo of SI Paris.
Flat wick 50 mm.
Glass chimney:
10’’’ Kosmos chimney. Height 250 mm, Ø fitter 39 mm.
Marked: Spécial recuit - Made in France 10'''+ crown with garland.
Shade and shade holder:
Ball shade by St. Louis for Moderator lamps, colourless glass, frosted inside, vertically wide ribbed, 2 brass rings. Without slip fitter.
Height 150 mm, Ø bottom opening 64 and bulge 161 mm.
70 mm globe holder for 10’’’ burners.
Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 28.6 cm, total height with chimney 57.0 cm.
Total weight 1910 g.
