L.355

An early American lamp from the 1880s. Figural column made of cast zinc, the square base made of cast iron.

From the USA came a large #2 flat burner of Edward Miller with the delicate L.344 porcelain lamp. Of course, this burner was very big and inappropriate there. So I switched the lamp to a small Kosmos burner. Well, the American flat burner was free for another lamp. After some searching I found this rather old, figurative lamp with a typical glass font made of pressed glass.

The base is made of square, stepped cast iron, which is very typical for these lamps. Interesting is the figural stem with a sitting, naked boy who is holding a basket full of grapes with his right hand and is eating grapes with relish with the other hand. A goat leans on him and stretches towards the basket of grapes. I found this figural column in the catalogues of three American lamp companies, each combined with other iron bases and glass fonts: Union Glass Co., Boston, ca. 1875; Edward Miller, 1881 and Bradley & Hubbard, 1883 and 1888.

The burner got a new 3 inch chimney. I then put on a half-open ball shade (presumably for gas lamps), as it looks quite similar to the usual American shades for this kind of lamps.

Lamp Data

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

Cleaning and repairs:
Lamp body cleaned, figural stem primed dark and bronzed with gold wax. Cast iron base derusted, treated with rust converter and painted with black patina paint.

Lamp body:
Base made of profiled, stepped cast iron, square, 12.4 x 12.4 cm.
Figural cast zinc stem with a naked boy eating grapes; a goat stretches to the basket of grapes.
Font made of clear, colourless pressed glass, decoration as an imitation of diamond cut, Ø 143 mm. USA #2 collar. Font removable together with threaded rod.

Burner:
#2 Venus burner of Edward Miller, Meriden, USA. Thread 31.1 mm, hinged dome.
Wick knob marked: Venus Pat. Dec. 10. 1867.
Flat wick 36 mm.

Glass chimney:
New USA #3 glass chimney with slim bulge, without mark.
Height 255 mm, Ø fitter 75 mm.

Shade and shade holder:
Ball shade for gas lamps, colourless frosted glass, deep etched flowers and butterflies, lipped fitter.
Height 136 mm, Ø fitter 93 and bulge 188 mm.
100 mm globe holder for 20’’’ burners.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 26.6 cm, total height with chimney 53.3 cm.
Total weight 1710 g.