L.138

A very classical French tripod lamp of medium size with a marble base and hand-cut crystal font. Made around 1885-1900.

This type of tripod lamp, also called lampe athénienne in France, is a French invention of the Empire period. The design of the time was adopted pretty much unchanged for these successors as kerosene/paraffin lamps. Especially the larger and elaborately decorated lamps with a beautiful crystal font are highly sought after by French lamp collectors and therefore correspondingly expensive.

The base of this lamp is made of a heavy marble disc to provide the necessary weight. The mythological creatures on the bronze support arms are somewhat clumsily cast. They probably represent birds of prey with female breasts. Brass mounts are partly bronzed dark anthracite.

The removable crystal font is nicely cut and just barely fits into the support ring. The included burner is from the French producer Lacroix & Ferrary.

I am very happy with the choice of the shade: a spherical shade made of transparent, colourless crystal glass, carefully hand-cut and polished, fits the lamp perfectly, both in terms of size and material, as the font and shade harmonise perfectly with each other. However, I had to combine the matching globe holder from 2 different globe holders. It is interesting to observe how the glow of the flame catches several times on the cut patterns of the crystal shade.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Ball shade and combined globe holders.

Cleaning and repairs:
Not necessary.

Lamp body:
Base of beige marble on a brass plate, round, Ø 102 mm. Above it a dark bronzed brass plate, on which 3 long rods of cast brass with winged mythological figures are mounted. These 3 arms in turn carry an ornamented brass ring as a holder for the glass font, Ø 111 mm.
Drop-in font of transparent, colourless crystal glass, elaborately cut by hand, Ø 100 mm.

Burner:
10’’’ Kosmos burner of Lacroix & Ferrary, Caen.
Wick knob marked: Marque de Fabrique Deposée. Wick knob back: Intervined initials L F.
Flat wick 48 mm.

Glass chimney:
10’’’ Kosmos chimney. Height 248 mm, Ø fitter 41 mm.
Marked: Fabrique en France - Marque déposée - 10''' + cock in an oval frame.

Shade and shade holder:
Ball shade, colourless crystal glass, cut and polished. Lipped fitter.
Height 141 mm, Ø fitter 77 and bulge 149 mm.
Globe holder combined of 85 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners and 70 mm globe holder for 10’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 27.3 cm, total height with chimney 55.8 cm.
Total weight 2470 g.