L.278

A lamp with completely playful Art Nouveau from France. Probably created in 1900-1910.

The entire lamp body is a single hymn to the sensual floral Art Nouveau style that could only be created in France. The short column rises from four "flowery" feet, is laced just below the vase like a bundle of plants, and unfolds into a cheerful-looking vase with two smiling female antlers (or are these young girls, chubby-cheeked, smiling cheerfully at the viewer?). The two handles like two flower stems that have made their way up from the bundle of plants, are completely freely designed as well as the rest of the lamp. The lamp is certainly the design of a French master sculptor; unfortunately there is no signature.

I had to remove the dull, darkened brass paint in a caustic soda bath. When I took the lamp out of the bath, the brass paint had already come off, but there was still a red paint stuck to it, which I then had to brush off mechanically. Underneath was finally the original surface: zinc casting was first copper-plated, and then silver-plated! Unfortunately, there was very little left of the silver layer; copper shined through quite a bit. Here and there, even the zinc casting surface could be seen. Nevertheless, I polished the lamp carefully. Silver-plating with the silver solution from the UK was not satisfactory as it does not work on zinc surface; so I bronzed the lamp with brass wax.

I donated a high quality Kosmos burner and a small colourless tulip shade from the same period to the beautiful lamp. The tulip shade with its cameo-etched ornamentation is a little too small for the lamp, but still complements its cheerful playfulness well, I think.

Lamp Data

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

Cleaning and repairs:
Lamp freed from paint layers in NaOH bath, polished and bronzed with gold wax (Laiton).

Lamp body:
Lamp body made of cast zinc in floral Art Nouveau. Formerly copper-plated and then silver-plated. Later painted red and "gilded" with brass paint. Base on four feet, ca. 10 x 10 cm.
Vase with two smiling female faces and two handles, Ø ca. 13 cm (with handles). No signature.
Lamp body is at the same time a font.

Burner:
10’’’ Kosmos burner of Kästner & Töbelmann, Erfurt.
Wick knob marked: 10''' Kaestner & Toebelmann Erfurt. Black glass inlay.
Flat wick 48 mm.

Glass chimney:
10’’’ Kosmos chimney. Height 225 mm, Ø fitter 40 mm.
Marked: Logo of Wensel, Soest.

Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade, colourless glass, frosted, cameo-etched ornamentation, fluted top rim. Lipped fitter (for electric lamps).
Height 97 mm, Ø fitter 66 and top rim 152 mm.
70 mm globe holder for 10’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 19.8 cm, total height with chimney 45.8 cm.
Total weight 1580 g.