L.023

A very large floor lamp from France, completely made of brass parts and with a fixed, round table made of green onyx marble. The largest lamp in my collection! Such lamps with a table in the middle are called "Guéridon" lamps in France. Made around 1890-1910.

This lamp was an unexpected find in an antique market near us. It was standing very crooked (like the leaning tower of Pisa!), with a small flowerpot on top, in a corner with other antiques. Everything was missing at the top: font, burner, shade etc. were gone. The selling couple told me that they had bought this "flower stand" at a flea market in Paris several years ago and since then they had actually used it as a flower stand! I had to educate the couple about the actual use of the supposed flower stand.

How can you leave such a magnificent, great floor lamp standing because it was very crooked and without all the important components? I took up the challenge, knowing that I could bend the bent cast brass feet back into shape. The problem was the missing font. I wanted to try many drop-in fonts until I would find the one that would fit. The big surprise came at home when I tried the one orphaned brass font that had come with the lamp L.117 on this lamp; and it fitted as if it had been specially made for it! Now that's what I call luck...

I was able to carefully correct the exposed misalignment by completely dismantling the feet, screwing them tightly side by side on a thick wooden base and bringing them all to the same projection and height with vigorous pulling, pushing, bending.

Such a large lamp also needs a large shade, which is nowhere to be found. All the shades I tried (even the large American ball shades) turned out to be much too small. Very large Rochester shades are also in short supply. A few years earlier, I had bought a very large glass shade with a 44 cm fitter width from a Dutch dealer. And for this shade I had constructed the corresponding shade holder myself from several different brass parts and with a white fabric border. I was able to complete the missing neck area of the shade with a crown made of sheet iron. With this combination of self-construction, the large floor lamp finally got a worthy, matching shade.

In order to attach the large 18’’’ Kosmos burner of Wild & Wessel (it came with the matching, large collar; and so far did not fit on any other lamp) I first had to saw off the bayonet collar of the British brass font and cement the W&W collar on place.

I know, extremely much work for a "flower stand"... But I confess that I am very proud of this lamp, because I managed to create a majestic floor lamp out of a totally crooked, alleged flower stand.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Font, burner, glass chimney, glass shade with fabric border and self-made shade holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
See above.

Lamp body:
3 feet of ornamental, very baroque brass casting (very crooked, now corrected), side length 52 cm. Pedestal of fluted brass tube. Height variable. In the centre a round table of green onyx marble surrounded by decorated brass border, Ø 41 cm.
Vase of finely decorated brass, Ø 183 mm.
Replacement drop-in font (from a British lamp) of sheet brass without ornamentation, Ø 145 mm. Bayonet collar removed, new collar for 18''' Kosmos burner cemented.

Burner:
18’’’ Kosmos burner of Wild & Wessel, Berlin. Burner thread 48.5 mm.
Wick knob marked: W&W Kosmos. Wick knob back: Ornamental W&W cord.
Wick tube marked: Patent Breveté SGDG.
Flat wick 93 mm.

Glass chimney:
18’’’ Kalthoff chimney. Height 294 mm, Ø fitter 63 mm.
Marked: 18 G. F. Opitz Berlin.

Shade and shade holder:
Very large, slightly domed glass shade, white milk glass colourless overlaid, no neck, upper rim flat cut.
Height 87 mm, Ø fitter 440 and bulge 455 mm.
440 mm shade holder for 20''' burners; completely self-made from brass band, brass rods, brass tube and two globe holders for 20''' burners. See also: Working on Burners – Construction of Shade Holders.

Lamp dimensions:
Total height with chimney: minimum 183 cm, maximum 217 cm.
Total weight 17.0 kg.