L.226

A large, exceptional cast zinc lamp with a carefully painted decoration with real gold and silver paints! The painting is very probably not the work of a passionate owner. It is very precisely executed except for the lower foot area. This lamp could therefore be a unique specimen. It may have been commissioned by a wealthy owner. A similar lamp, almost identical in the foot area, is illustrated in the catalogue of Silber & Fleming from London (page 232, lamp 8269).

Addendum Feb. 2023: This lamp is from Wild & Wessel! Under the base is stamped: 2295=96=97 with a dot. In the past I couldn't do anything with this strange numbering. But the riddle has been solved very plausibly: W&W designed three lamps that differ in the upper vase area but are identical in the base. Therefore, the base has three consecutive lamp numbers (i.e. 2295, 2296 and 2297). This came to my attention when a lamp with a somewhat simpler design in the upper section and the same base appeared in the Villa Wild collection. We do not know which of the three model numbers mentioned explicitly belongs to this lamp.

Gold and silver paints consist of real gold and silver. Silver is partly tarnished. Even more: the burner and the globe holder are probably gold-plated as well. The gold tone differs considerably from the usual brass colour (also from lacquer-protected brass). The painting of the lamp is extremely precise (except for the foot area), and therefore not at all the work of a later owner or collector. The stone base (of presumably black serpentine) is glossy painted with black lacquer.

The state of preservation of the painted surface is very good. I have only partially rubbed and polished the painted surfaces with brass polish. The font had probably fallen at some point. The zinc cast edge was quite bent; I carefully straightened it with hammer blows. Probably for the same reason the glass font was broken and replaced.

I do not know whether the lamp was perhaps commissioned by Carl Rakenius or was later fitted by an owner with a burner by Carl Rakenius. The gilded burner and likewise gilded globe holder probably belong originally to the lamp. This lamp is possibly a specially made unique piece.

Since the included burner and globe holder are obviously original to the lamp, I leave them on. A large tulip from Vereinigte ungarländische Glasfabriken and a matching Kalthoff chimney have completed the lamp in a very stylish way. This lamp is an extremely splendid historicism lamp that would even have held its own in a castle or palace.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass chimney and tulip shade.

Cleaning and repairs:
The bent edge of the font lid straightened out.

Lamp body:
Base of stone (serpentine?), glossy black lacquer, Ø 149 mm.
Entire lamp body of cast zinc, primed in black and very elaborately painted meticulously with genuine gold and silver colours. Vase and foot in one piece. Under foot stamped: 2295=96=97. Two screwed handles. Vase Ø 154 mm, with handles 190 mm. In the vase an additional container made of sheet brass, loosely suspended.
Drop-in font of colourless clear glass, cemented under the zinc cast lid of the lamp. Lid Ø 143 mm.

Burner:
14’’’ Reform Kosmos burner of Schuster & Baer, Berlin, for Carl Rakenius, Berlin. Burner is probably gold-plated.
Wick knob marked: Carl Rakenius & Co. Wick knob back: Logo of Schuster & Baer.
Wick tube marked: Patent.
Flat wick 67 mm.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Kalthoff chimney. Height 279 mm, Ø fitter 52 mm.
Marked: Patent-Cylinder Kalthoff 14''' Prima Prima Cristal; reverse side: F.Boekelo, In Huishoudelijke artikelen, Leens.

Shade and shade holder:
Melon-shaped tulip shade by Vereinigte ungarländische Glasfabriken, colourless glass, embossed, frosted, flat transparent motifs, upper rim scalloped.
Height 205 mm, Ø fitter 85 and bulge 175 mm.
85 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners, presumably gold-plated.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 42.3 cm, total height with chimney 73.3 cm.
Total weight 5160 g.