© Arto Hanciogullari und T. Tsekyi Thür

L.345

A slender, flute-shaped cast zinc lamp from Germany, originally with a greenish patina. This lamp must have achieved a certain fame at the time (ca. 1880-1890), because other versions of it also exist, made of KPM porcelain, and in three different colour combinations. Two of them are illustrated in Mr Touché's book on page 347.

The ornament of the lamp is the wide band in the middle of the vase with depictions of insects and flowers. Flower and leaf stems are artfully intertwined.

When the lamp arrived, it was badly damaged. The very heavy serpentine base had bent the cast zinc metal foot neatly upwards on one side with its immense weight! When I tried to bend the bent foot back again, the foot broke at the narrowest part of the vase! I had no choice but to first carefully bend the foot part back with well-aimed hammer blows and then glue it with Stabilit glue and backed with metal tubing, which I managed very well. After sanding down the glued seam, there are no more traces of the broken foot.

The green patina was very unevenly applied and offered me no chance to improve this condition. I therefore decided to paint over it completely with brass paint. I then patinated the bands in relief twice with shoe polish. I stained the flat areas a little darker. This way I managed to give the lamp a contrasting finish of two different shades of gold.

The burner is the rare, two-piece Kosmos burner by Stobwasser. It could even be that the complete lamp is by Stobwasser, as it is of high quality.

 

 

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass chimney and tulip shade.

Cleaning and repairs:
Zinc cast base bent to initial shape. Broken part glued with Stabilit. Cast zinc parts painted with bronze paint and patinated.

Lamp body:
Base of large, stepped profiled black serpentine, Ø 157 mm.
Narrow vase in conical form of ornamental zinc casting with 4 bands decorated in relief. Two loose hanging handles of cast brass, screwed in, removable. Vase Ø 130 mm, with handles 182 mm.
Drop-in font of clear glass, suspended in the vase. Font lid of decorated cast zinc, Ø 139 mm.

Burner:
14’’’ Kosmos burner of Stobwasser, Berlin. Gallery and basket separable from each other.
Wick knob marked: Stobwasser Berlin.
Flat wick 68 mm.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Kosmos chimney. Height 267 mm, Ø fitter 53 mm.
Marked: Kristall 14.

Shade and shade holder:
Melon-shaped tulip shade, colourless glass, frosted, transparent motifs (stylised vase motif on each segment), upper rim scalloped.
Height 225 mm, Ø fitter 86 and bulge 169 mm.
85 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 40.3 cm, total height with chimney 71.0 cm.
Total weight 5320 g.