L.007

This Art Nouveau lamp was the first lamp I bought on eBay. I was attracted by the strange combination of glass and zinc castings. The lamp was probably made around 1900-1905.

The metal parts of the base were painted with bronze paint, which has become dull and unsightly over time. The base part is illustrated in a Kästner & Töbelmann catalogue from around 1905. The Radium burner from K&T that came with the lamp also indicates that the lamp was produced by Kästner & Töbelmann. The burner did not have a flame disc; I had to add it.

The glass parts, which originally looked like cut glass in the photos, turned out to be well-made pressed glass. They seem to have been used quite rarely; in my 10 years of collecting, I have only seen one other lamp that included the lower glass plate.

This lamp is a good example of how lamp makers around 1900 combined parts of lamps with different styles. The font of this lamp is undoubtedly in pure Art Nouveau style, while the whole combination of base and pillar can rather be classified between Historicism and Art Nouveau.

Much later I bought an old painted Vesta shade in Art Nouveau shape, which suits this lamp well. I painted the zinc castings with brass paint and then carefully patinated them with shoe polish.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Flame disc, glass chimney and Vesta shade.

Cleaning and repairs:
The shade holder better centred and re-soldered. Castings painted over with brass paint and patinated.

Lamp body:
Base+column combination of three cast zinc parts (painted bronze; colour dull and matt), and two glass parts of colourless pressed glass. Under the base inside a cast iron weight. Base 168 x 168 mm.
Font made of light green, semi-transparent frosted glass, painted with floral tendrils (enamel painting, gold rubbed off), Art Nouveau, slightly indented on four sides, Ø 149 mm.

Burner:
15’’’ Radium burner of Kästner & Töbelmann, Erfurt, soldered to the shade holder.
Wick knob ring marked: Radium.
Wick knob marked: Kaestner & Toebelmann, Erfurt. Black glass insert.
Original flame disc of the type hat-on-sieve-tube.
Flat wick 67 mm.

Glass chimney:
15’’’ Matador chimney. Height 258 mm, Ø fitter 54 mm.
Marked: Prima Boheems Glas - 15''' Matador - 16''' Salvator - Schutzmarke + Logo E&G.

Shade and shade holder:
Vesta shade, white milk glass, Art Nouveau shape, painted flowers, upper rim wavy and flat rolled.
Height 160 mm, Ø fitter 234 and bulge 267 mm.
235 mm shade holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners, soldered to the burner.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 34.8 cm, total height with chimney 64.2 cm.
Total weight 3250 g.