L.153
A very unusual zinc cast lamp from the USA, not at all comparable with the usual American lamps. Probably made around 1880-1900.
This lamp is very surprising for me: I found it on eBay USA in a completely dirty, run-down and electrified condition; however, it is probably a European lamp from Germany or Austria, because it has nothing in common with the ordinary American lamps.
The second surprise is the completely rare decoration of the vase, which is very elaborately decorated all around with genre scenes of children playing happily in nature. There are children climbing trees, playing with dogs, swinging, bathing in the lake and sailing boats, holding ducks in their arms (8 children in all). The scenes are lovely and depicted in great detail. In all these 10 years of collecting I have never seen a lamp even remotely similar. The two handles as winged, female mythical creatures (probably harpies) with their bare breasts do not belong to this children's play context. Instead, the font lid is also decorated with three toddler faces.
The lamp was electrified at some point. The font was perforated and an adapter for electrical accessories was inserted into the font collar. I removed all the electrical mounts and soldered the cable hole at the bottom of the font with a small brass plate. The entire lamp is made of cast zinc, which was richly soiled. A thorough sanding showed that the lamp was originally copper-plated (copper bronze?). As there were only remnants of the copper paint left, I first had to prime the lamp with shoe polish and then re-bronze it with gold wax (copper and gold 1:1). I also heightened the colour of the raised areas with brass wax. I kept the background of the genre scenes darker with shoe polish (mixed with a little gold wax) to make the figures in relief stand out better.
I have returned the lamp to kerosene/paraffin operation and fitted it with an American Duplex burner by Plume & Atwood, with an English round-bulged Duplex chimney and a painted British gas tulip, which with its dark orange tonalities matches the copper colour of the lamp quite well. In order to be able to attach this tulip shade, I removed the hinges from a silk shade attachment and combined it with a regular USA 100 mm globe holder.
This lamp is one of my favourites because small, playing children are the main theme of the decoration and I was able to use my bronzing method very convincingly.
Lamp Data
Added by me:
Burner, glass chimney, tulip shade and globe holder (partly selfmade).
Cleaning and repairs:
The hole at the font soldered shut with a small brass disc. Lamp body cleaned, primed with shoe polish and bronzed with copper wax.
Lamp body:
Entire lamp body made of ornamental, very elaborately designed zinc casting. Originally copper-plated. Later electrified. Base on 3 feet, Ø 193 mm.
Vase decorated all around with genre scenes of children playing. Soldered handles in the shape of female creatures with wings. Vase Ø 157 mm, with handles 203 mm.
Drop-in font made of sheet zinc, soldered under the cast zinc lid. Lid Ø 134 mm. Font perforated for electrification (soldered by me with brass plate).
Burner:
USA #2 Duplex burner of Plume & Atwood, USA, with extinguisher. Burner thread 46 mm.
Two wick knobs, marked: P A Duplex.
Two flat wicks, each 29 mm; additional transport wick.
Glass chimney:
British Duplex chimney with round bulge. Height 245 mm, Ø fitter 64 mm. Without brand.
Shade and shade holder:
British tulip shade for gas lamps, frosted glass, orange coloured on top, lighter at the bottom, vertically broadly ribbed, enamel painting, upper rim extensively corrugated and angularly ruffled.
Height 106 mm, Ø bottom opening 107 and top rim 225 mm.
100 mm globe holder for USA #2 burners; soldered with an attachment ring for silk shades, Ø 120 mm.
Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 20.4 cm, total height with chimney 48.5 cm.
Total weight 3030 g.
