L.204
A very imposing, well-formed, tall lamp for highly demanding customers. I discovered the lamp in Apulia (southern Italy). It came from a palazzo in Mesagne, as the seller told me. It was probably made between 1880 and 1890 at the height of historicism. Due to the female figure in the column part, the lamp can be assigned to the Viennese manufacturer R. Ditmar (see below), although it does not show any visible marks from R. Ditmar.
The lamp consists of three main parts: a separate base with large lion heads, a central part with the large figure of a woman holding a fluted, cornucopia-shaped column, and the vase. The vase contains three recessed cartouches, in each of which two putti practice different sciences (archeology, astronomy and geography). All parts belong together without a doubt, as they have matching ornamentation.
Assignment to R. Ditmar (see last photo below): An old lamp from the Ditmar catalogue 1869 (plate 22, lamp 5383) has a similar female figure holding a cornucopia, but still distinguishable, which is attached to a strict cylindrical base. Coincidentally, a collector friend has a lamp that has the same base as this lamp from the old catalogue, but now has the female figure as seen at my lamp. Apparently R. Ditmar later modernized the female figure. It is possible that my lamp was produced especially for a lamp dealer or for export and therefore does not have a R. Ditmar trademark.
The lamp was almost exclusively black with scant traces of bronzing. In addition, two small Kosmos burners were glued together and glued to the font collar (with silicone!). I had to clean the lamp from decades of dirt, prime it with a dark primer and bronze it with brass-coloured gold wax. This gave the lamp a very solemn, extremely magnificent appearance.
A large burner would match this mighty lamp. I completed it with a 20-line Schwintzer & Gräff burner with the matching Germania chimney and a wonderful, large tulip shade from France. This lamp is undoubtedly one of the very splendid, stately lamps in my collection.
Lamp Data
Added by me:
Burner with flame disc, glass chimney, tulip shade and globe holder.
Cleaning and repairs:
Lamp thoroughly cleaned, primed dark and bronzed with brass wax.
Lamp body:
Base, figurative column and vase made of very ornamental, richly decorated cast zinc. Base with 2 lion heads, on 4 feet, Ø 192 mm.
Pillar in the shape of a woman holding a cornucopia. Vase with 3 scenes with putti engaged in scientific activities. 3 owls underline the knowledge aspect. Vase Ø 163 mm.
Drop-in font made of clear glass, plastered under the lid made of ornamental cast zinc, inserted into the vase. Lid Ø 143 mm. The font can be removed.
Burner:
20’’’ burner of Schwintzer & Gräff, Berlin.
Wick knob marked: Logo of Schwintzer & Gräff.
Original flame disc with a flat disc on a long sieve tube.
Flat wick 100 mm.
Glass chimney:
20’’’ bottle-shaped chimney. Height 290 mm, Ø fitter 63 mm.
Marked: Germania Cylinder 20’’’+ star in a circle + 2 crossed arrows.
Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade, coloured stained glass, cranberry-coloured above, amber-coloured below and at top part, flower motifs (cyclamen) in relief in whitish glass, fluted and frilled top rim.
Height 246 mm, Ø fitter 85 and top rim 190 mm.
85 mm globe holder for 20’’’ burners.
Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 56.6 cm, total height with chimney 89.1 cm.
Total weight 5790 g.
From left: Picture of a Ditmar lamp in 1869 catalogue – Photo of a lamp displaying the same base but a changed female figure (photo courtesy of Dr. R. Schoeneborn, Germany) – My lamp with the same figure as seen at the photo left – Tulip shade from France.