L.316

A former, baluster-shaped Moderator lamp of painted porcelain; probably made around 1850-1870. The porcelain manufactory is unknown to me. It could be one of the numerous Parisian manufactories.

The porcelain vase is painted all around. In the front there is a noble lady with two small children. At the back is a nature scene with houses on the river bank. Both scenes are separated from each other by large trees. This type of painting can also be seen on other Moderator lamps (probably made by the same manufactory). They were probably quite popular. The vase does not bear a signature.

The lamp still had almost all the Moderator technology inside. Only the burner was half sawn off from an earlier electrification and thus destroyed. So I decided to remove it completely and replace it with a glass font to create a kerosene/paraffin lamp.

I first had to carefully saw off the upper burner part in order to take the lamp parts apart. I sawed off the threaded part of the Moderator burner and connected it with a brass undermount. I then plastered a glass font in a matching colour into this metal undermount. This way I made it possible to screw the glass font in and out of the lamp neck as desired.

With a high-quality Reform Kosmos burner and a St. Louis tulip shade, the lamp was completely transformed into an elegant kerosene/paraffin lamp.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass font, burner, glass chimney, tulip shade and globe holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
See above.

Lamp body:
Lamp body of a former Moderator lamp. Base of ornamental hexagonal cast brass, Ø 139 mm.
Vase of completely hand-painted porcelain in baluster form, Ø 131 mm. Vase collar again of cast brass. Moderator technique present inside.
Font of painted glass, reddish at the bottom, Ø 140 mm. Removable font; brass undermount screwed into the vase collar.

Burner:
14’’’ Reform Kosmos burner of Schuster & Baer, Berlin.
Wick knob marked: Patent Reform-Rund-Brenner. Wick knob back: Logo of Schuster & Baer.
Wick tube marked: Patent.
Flat wick 67 mm of Den Haan Rotterdam, marked: DHR Kat14.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Kalthoff chimney. Height 280 mm, Ø fitter 52 mm.
Marked: Deutscher Reform-Cylinder 14''' + lion.

Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade by St. Louis (signed), colourless glass, frosted, cameo-etched floral motifs, fluted top rim.
Height 145 mm, Ø fitter 67 and top rim 190 mm.
70 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 37.2 cm, total height with chimney 69.0 cm.
Total weight 2280 g.