L.290

A large French figural lamp with a signed female figure in Art Nouveau, produced around 1910-1920. This high-quality construction with a sculpture on a marble base differs fundamentally from other French figural lamps because the female sculpture does not hold the font in her hand, as is usual, but rather a half-open bowl made of cast zinc with two hands. In this bowl there was only a tin candle holder, which was probably soldered to it later, and otherwise not at all when the lamp came to me.

This lamp was certainly not produced as a candle holder. Much later in an auction portal I saw the same lamp as an electric lamp with a hand-blown ball shade. This version was similar to the later Art Deco lamps, but was probably the result of a later electrification, because there is no option for discretely hidden cable routing. In fact, the electrical cord hung down from the bowl, which quite spoiled the look of the lamp.

I decided to turn it into a beautiful, splendid kerosene/paraffin lamp. To do this, I sawed off the candle socket in the half-open bowl and replaced it with a metal mount with an inner thread. Then it was easy to screw a painted kerosene/paraffin font of my choice onto it. I sealed the irregular holes on the bowl, the meaning of which is not clear to me, with small copper flowers.

The finely modelled sculpture by the French sculptor Paul Philippe belongs to a late Art Nouveau period, but is not yet Art Déco. The figure of this lamp also has a two-tone patina; the dress is greenish, the skin light ochre-brown. The base is made of red marble without a name tag on it.

The colourless tulip shade also comes from France. The result is a completely French figure lamp that reproduces the inimitable French esprit with a skilfully modelled female figure.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass font, metal mount with inner thread, burner, chimney, tulip shade and globe holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
I soldered a matching metal mount with an inner thread in the half-open bowl so that I could screw in a glass font. I sealed the holes in the bowl with copper flowers.

Lamp body:
Profiled base made of red marble, Ø 163 mm.
Beautifully modelled, fine cast sculpture made of zinc, patinated in two colours, signed: P. Philippe (= Paul Philippe, French sculptor, 1870-1930). A small badge on backside: Fabrication Française Paris Made in France. The sculptured young woman holds in her hands a bowl made of spelter, Ø 117 mm.
Font made of pale green frosted glass, enamel painted, Ø 154 mm. Font can be unscrewed.

Burner:
16’’’ Hugo burner of Hugo Schneider, Leipzig, for export to France. With original flame disc and gallery raiser.
Burner marked: 16’’’ Bec Lumière.
Wick knob marked: R.V. Importé Lumière + anchor (Logo of Robert & Vilette, Bordeaux and Paris).
Flat wick 76 mm.

Glass chimney:
15’’’ Matador chimney. Height 270 mm, Ø fitter 53 mm.
Marked: Cristal Recuit - Matador 15’’’ + RM in a circle.

Shade and shade holder:
French tulip shade, frosted colourless glass, cameo-etched flower motifs, fluted top rim.
Height 157 mm, Ø fitter 83 and top rim 165 mm.
85 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 69.6 cm, total height with chimney 101.2 cm.
Total weight 5340 g.