L.064

An early lamp by R. Ditmar, very elaborately constructed from several parts and a rare Ditmar burner to boot. This lamp was a lucky purchase from a collector friend.

This lamp is probably from the Historicism period, around 1880-1885, and is not shown in the 1897 catalogue. The elaborate construction of the lamp (a total of 33 individual parts up to the collar, with the whole font calculated as 1 part) indicates this somewhat earlier period before the Art Nouveau era.

The base stands on four independent feet. The column area is attached to this. An urn-shaped vase made of sheet zinc sits on the short column. Three decorative elements with women's faces made of cast zinc are screwed onto this vase. The vase is finished off at the top with profiled sheet zinc rings. The whole construction is very elaborate.

I took the lamp completely apart and cleaned it thoroughly. I painted the smooth parts made of sheet zinc with Faubourg Patina and polished them. The ornamental parts in relief, on the other hand, were primed with black shoe polish and bronzed with gold wax (Laiton + Or classique). I strictly followed the original colour scheme of the lamp.

Miraculously, a few months later I received an original Brillant Meteor chimney from another collector friend! A narrow, relatively tall melon-shaped tulip was a perfect match for this time-honoured lamp.  

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass chimney, tulip shade and globe holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
Entire lamp cleaned, primed with shoe polish and bronzed with gold wax (Laiton + Or classique) or lacquered and polished with Faubourg Patina.

Lamp body:
Base of profiled sheet zinc, standing on 4 ornamental feet of cast zinc, Ø 136 mm.
Column area composed of three cast zinc and sheet zinc parts.
Vase of sheet zinc, with three screwed-on decorative elements of cast zinc, decorated with women's heads. Vase Ø 161 mm. Vase end again of sheet zinc and cast zinc. In the vase an additional container of sheet iron, marked: R. Ditmar Wien.
Drop-in font of clear glass, cemented under the lid of ornamental zinc casting, lid Ø 121 mm. Font collar with Ditmar decoration.

Burner:
15’’’ Brillant Meteor burner of R. Ditmar, Vienna, for the French market; with manual lifting mechanism without a turning key
Wick knob marked: Bec Météore Brillant R. Ditmar.
Deflector marked: 15''' D.R.Patent No. 49870 Patente 1886/89.
Wick knob ring marked: Importé.
Original flame disc of Brillant Meteor burner.
Flat wick 78 mm.

Glass chimney:
15’’’ Brillant Meteor chimney. Height 293 mm, Ø fitter 52 mm.
Marked: 15''' Brillant Meteor Brenner + Logo R. Ditmar Wien.

Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade, melon shape, colourless glass, frosted, flat transparent motifs, upper rim scalloped cut.
Height 197 mm, Ø fitter 70 and bulge 159 mm.
70 mm globe holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 31.2 cm, total height with chimney 65.7 cm.
Total weight 3110 g.