L.143

A large column lamp with alabaster parts and tulip and font of blue glass. For many years, a combination of font and tulip shade in light blue glass had been waiting to be used in a lamp. At some point I found this striking, unusual column of almost pure white alabaster on eBay UK. I think white and blue harmonise well together.

The font and tulip shade in light blue are recent production from Poland, with slightly smudged golden lines and sparse dabs of colour trimmed to "old". I had to remove the metal undermount and the collar on the font and replace them with suitable spare parts in order to be able to use the font at all. I carefully painted the very simply indicated flowers on the two parts with crimson glass paint.

The lamp was either originally an electric lamp that was later converted to kerosene/paraffin, or it was a kerosene/paraffin lamp that was later electrified. In any case, one side of the base has a cable hole that was later closed with plaster. Some of the corners and edges of the base have small, broken-off areas. I carefully sanded them down and then carefully polished them. To give the base a wider look, I had an additional alabaster plate made, glued under the original base and added 4 ornate cast zinc furniture feet.

I completed the lamp with a 16’’’ Reform Kosmos burner and a Kalthoff chimney. I soldered the globe holder together from two different parts.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Alabaster plate, glass font, burner, glass chimney, tulip shade and globe holder.

Cleaning and repairs:
The damaged corners and edges straightened and polished. Collar and undermount removed from the font and replacement parts cemented in place. Flowers on the font and tulip shade painted. Additional alabaster plate with 4 zinc cast feet glued on.

Lamp body:
Lamp body in white alabaster. Square base 135 x 135 mm. The base and column consist of a total of 7 alabaster parts that are partially glued together. The lowest plinth plate has been added by me. Base somewhat damaged at the corners and edges.
Light blue glass font, transparent, optically diagonally ribbed, painted (gold paint rubbed), Ø 161 mm, undermount thread 23 mm. New production from Poland.

Burner:
16’’’ Reform Kosmos burner of Schuster & Baer, Berlin.
Wick knob marked: Reform-Rund-Brenner. Wick knob back: Initials BJB.
Wick tube marked: 16‘‘‘.
Flat wick 83 mm.

Glass chimney:
16’’’ Kalthoff chimney. Height 294 mm, Ø fitter 58 mm.
Marked: Crystall "K" Cylinder (in a star frame) 16'''.

Shade and shade holder:
Tulip shade, transparent glass, light blue at the top, colourless at the bottom, optically diagonally ribbed, sparsely painted (gold paint rubbed), upper rim fluted and frilled. New production from Poland.
Height 167 mm, Ø fitter 85 and top rim 257 mm.
85 mm globe holder for 20’’’ burners; soldered with a brass ring with 62 mm inner diameter.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 54.5 cm, total height with chimney 88.4 cm.
Total weight 5030 g.