L.230
This lamp is an imposing and unusual lamp from France or Belgium. Imposing because of its size and detailed workmanship in the historicist style; unusual because of its unknown, enigmatic burner, which is not described anywhere. The lamp was offered for sale on eBay France at a low price. It immediately caught my attention because of its exclusive appearance and the unusual burner, which was not complete. Nevertheless, I bought the lamp (also out of curiosity about the burner).
The lamp is a central draft lamp. The brass font can be removed and also used as a small table lamp. This font bears the embossed marking "Breveté S.G.D.G." on the upper part. (= patent protection without government guarantee). Only the French and Belgian lamps bear this marking.
The actually puzzling centrepiece of the lamp is the large, 25-line flame disc burner, which has a peculiar mechanism for insertion into the font collar, not found in any other lamp so far. See also: Kerosene/Paraffin Burners - Other Burners - A Mysterious Center-Draft Burner. The wick adjustment by means of a rack is reminiscent of US burners. The wick knob has no logo. My efforts to identify the lamp, or at least the burner, by consulting all the experts I know, have been fruitless.
A globe holder is attached to the burner, which is designed only for this lamp, because it has a special opening for the rack of the wick wheel.
The lamp is probably of Belgian origin, because large center-draft lamps made of brass were a speciality from Belgium. I do not know of any similar lamps from France.
The glass shade I put on it is a genuine Sinumbra shade, excellently fitting in size. It is probably only a few years older than the lamp.
Unfortunately, when I tried to burn the lamp with a makeshift flame disc, I found that the font has a hairline crack all around the constricted area at the top, from which kerosene/paraffin seeps out. This hairline crack cannot be sealed from the inside because the 2-component sealing liquid simply runs into the next recesses. Sealing from the outside or even soldering would spoil the appearance. Therefore, this interesting lamp remains unusable at the moment.
Lamp Data
Added by me:
Glass chimney and glass shade.
Cleaning and repairs:
Not necessary (hairline crack on the font unfortunately cannot be repaired inconspicuously).
Lamp body:
Lamp body of ornamentally embossed brass sheet. Base on 4 feet of cast brass. Base Ø ca. 19 cm. A thick iron ring under the base.
Vase carries two projecting handles of cast brass with rams' heads and rich ornamentation. Holes for air intake at the transition to the column. Vase Ø 178 mm, with handles 305 mm.
Drop-in font of sheet brass, lid of the font ornamentally embossed to match the lamp, Ø 178 mm. Extra filler. Horizontal hairline crack at the constricted area in the upper part, therefore leaking! The font can be used separately as a small table lamp. Font marked on top: Breveté S.G.D.G.
Burner:
25''' flame disc burner with central air draft from an unknown producer. Connection to the font completely unusual with two L-shaped feet. Deflector cap loosely attached.
Wick knob without mark.
Flame disc (probably of the type large disc on thin tube) missing!
Round wick Ø 37 mm.
Glass chimney:
20’’’ Matador chimney with slim bulge. Height 265 mm, Ø fitter 64 mm.
Marked: Matadorzilinder 20''' (in a circle).
Shade and shade holder:
Glass shade for Sinumbra lamps (probably around 1850), colourless glass, partly frosted, cut ornamentation, flat upper rim. Without slip fitter.
Height 192 mm, Ø bottom opening 93 and bulge 210 mm.
100 mm globe holder for 20’’’ burners; original part of the lamp.
Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 40.0 cm, total height with chimney 68.7 cm.
Total weight 4210 g.
