L.227

A beautiful, old, French salon lamp with very fine painting. The porcelain vase has two hand-painted medallions, in the front with a young woman wearing a hat, in the back with a bouquet of flowers. The two handles and the medallions are offset with golden decorative lines, which are also quite well preserved; only on the upper edges of the handles is some abrasion noticeable. The small column, also made of porcelain, has fine hand-painted flowers.

The base is made of ornamental, multi-pierced cast brass, which is cast in one piece and shows no repetition of motifs. The number 23 is stamped inside.

The burner is an old French burner from Maris & Besnard in Paris. The thread is 35.8 mm, smaller than the usual 39.5 mm. The gallery can be unscrewed; however, the wick tube and basket are firmly together. I suspect this is an older burner; probably made around 1870-1880.

The lamp is quite elaborately crafted with several brass mounts and two separate porcelain parts. The very fine painting and the Biedermeier-like, graceful portrait of a woman suggest that it was made around 1860-70. The same lamp (as Parisian porcelain, with a different painting) is shown in Mahot: Les lampes à huile, as a complete Moderator lamp (from the Touché collection). My lamp was probably converted to kerosene/paraffin use at some point, or was made as the more modern kerosene/paraffin version from the start.

As a tulip shade, a St. Louis tulip fitted perfectly, as not only is its shape and size very appropriate, but its baroque decoration also harmonises excellently with this high-quality lamp.

Lamp Data

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

Cleaning and repairs:
The gallery of the burner soldered at one spot.

Lamp body:
Base of baroque, multiple openwork brass casting, Ø ca. 19 cm.
Short column of painted porcelain. Porcelain vase with 2 handles, 2 hand-painted medallions and golden decorative lines. Decorative ring of sheet brass on top. Inside additional container of sheet iron with decorative brass ring.
Drop-in font of sheet brass with lid of stepped sheet brass, Ø 96 mm.

Burner:
14’’’ Kosmos burner of Maris & Besnard, Paris. The gallery can be unscrewed. Burner thread 35.8 mm.
Wick knob marked: Maris & Besnard à Paris.
Flat wick 67 mm.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Kosmos chimney. Height 261 mm, Ø fitter 52 mm.
Marked: Droguerie-Epicerie H. Chabriel 11, Bd. Notre Dame - Importé 14'''.

Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade by St. Louis, colourless glass, frosted, deep-etched baroque floral motifs, Top rim with round and angular cut.
Height 193 mm, Ø fitter 68 and bulge 145 mm.
70 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 32.1 cm, total height with chimney 62.2 cm.
Total weight 3150 g.