© Arto Hanciogullari und T. Tsekyi Thür

L.314

An incredible, huge lamp with Delft motifs painted all around, found on eBay USA. The large, beautiful Delft lamps are actually very rare. I was already overjoyed when I was able to buy the large French lamp L.305 with Delft motifs. And a few weeks later, this lamp turned up on eBay! An oversized lamp, completely intact, beautifully painted, only unfortunately electrified. That's why the flame disc was missing. Nevertheless, I had to grab it, because these lamps are very rare indeed. I had inwardly resigned myself to the fact that I might have to wait months, even years, to finally find the right flame disc. To do this, I first had to find out who the burner was from. On the wick knob it only said "Pat. appl'd for" (i.e. patent pending). After a long search in Courter's book (Center-draft Kerosene Lamps) I found it: it was from Matthews & Willard in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA.

As I had hoped, I was able to remove the soldered electric socket and the solder residue. The wick tube was not damaged. To my greatest joy, the original wick was still inside! Sometimes small miracles happen: 10 days after buying the lamp, someone in the USA offered exactly the missing flame disc from Matthews & Willard! Incredible luck! My burner with the exactly correct flame disc is pictured at Courter, page 210.

The ceramic parts of the lamp are by Empire Porcelain Company from England (the vase bears the bottom mark). The date was also stamped: May 1896. The base is made of cast zinc and not cast iron as is usual in the USA. The base was probably formerly bronzed, later it was painted white. Both the large and the small vase are carefully painted with typical Delft motifs (coastal sections with sailing boats, old houses and windmills). The vase is also decorated with rococo ornamentation in relief.

This mighty lamp naturally called for a very large ball shade. A 10 inch ball shade from France, printed with a blue decoration, which I had bought for another lamp, fitted perfectly here. However, I had to solder an additional globe holder, which I had enlarged accordingly, to the lamp's own globe holder in order to be able to put the shade on stably. An American Matador chimney completed the lamp.

All in all, a beautiful, museum-quality, very rare lamp in my collection.

 

 

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Flame disc, glass chimney, ball shade and additional globe holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
The soldered electric socket removed and solder residues cleaned. The paint on the base was removed in a caustic soda bath and the base was then bronzed with gold wax (Laiton). A USA globe holder sawed apart, extended and soldered to the globe holder of the lamp.

Lamp body:
Base of ornamentally pierced cast zinc, on 4 feet, 18.5 x 18.5 cm.
Ceramic vase in baluster form, with rococo ornamentation, hand-painted with several Delft motifs. Two handles. Ornamental openwork decorative ring of cast brass on top. Vase Ø 236 mm. Vase marked at the bottom with a bottom mark of Empire Porcelain Company, England, and impressed: 5 96 (May 1896).
Above the vase a smaller vase with hand-painted Delft motifs, Ø 210 mm. In this part an additional container made of sheet iron.
Drop-in font of sheet brass (usual 5 inch font), with ornamentally pressed lid, Ø 138 mm. Extra oil filler.

Burner:
USA #2 center-draft burner of Matthews & Willard, USA, with gallery lifting function.
Wick knob marked: Pat. Appl'd For.
Original flame disc, marked: M.&W. 97 - The Improved Lamp - Patented Aug. 19 1896.
Round wick Ø 40 mm.

Glass chimney:
USA #2 Matador chimney. Height 302 mm, Ø fitter 66 mm.
New production without brand.

Shade and shade holder:
Ball shade, white milk glass colourless overlay, dark blue ornamental decoration (printed).
Height 220 mm, Ø fitter 107 and bulge 248 mm.
100 mm globe holder for USA #2 center-draft burners, combined with another 100 mm USA globe holder with enlarged circumference.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 64.6 cm, total height with chimney 98.6 cm.
Total weight 6290 g.