Author Topic: Lamp information please (Read 6247 times)

Barbie · « **on:** March 22, 2009, 01:35:16 AM »

Hello,

I have just purchased a unique floor lamp. It is about 2.5 feet high and is in the style of three toadstools/mushrooms. It has a cast metal base and fittings, and has beautiful red/brown/orange thick, glass shades, the stalks/stems are again glass and have lovely green stripes. The store manager has assured me that he had been with the company for 20 years and remembers the lamp from their King's Road, London store before then. He believed the lamp to be at least 30 years old and french in origin but is unable to give me any more information on it's designer, age etc. I contacted the London store and the man said he remembered the lamp. He stated it was last listed in a catalogue from 1989 as a 'Tiffany Style Mushroom Lamp' and he thought it may have been acquired in Italy. I was wondering if anybody from your forum has seen anything similar to this lamp and could shed some light on it's history. I am not a glass collector and know nothing about antiques but have never seen such a beautiful and unique lamp before and would be fascinated as to it's origins. I have attached a pic of the lamp when it was on and some parts look yellow. This is not the case it is more natural browny, reddy orange.

Regards
Barbie

vidrioguapo · « **Reply #1 on:** March 22, 2009, 03:08:13 PM »

I can't help with the lamp, but it MAY have come from the famous lighting emporium Christopher Wray who were certainly in the King's Road, Chelsea in London from the 60s. Here's a link to their web site, and I have found them very helpful from time to time. If you send them a photo with your questions I am sure they will have some answers.

http://www.christopherwray.com/store/store.asp

Emmi

Barbie · « **Reply #2 on:** March 22, 2009, 03:26:34 PM »

Quote from: vidrioguapo on March 22, 2009, 03:08:13 PM

I can't help with the lamp, but it MAY have come from the famous lighting emporium Christopher Wray who were certainly in the King's Road, Chelsea in London from the 60s.
Emmi

Thanks for your reply Emmi,

Sorry for the misunderstanding, Yes I did in fact buy this from Christopher Wray and as I said I have already contacted the London store. But alas they cannot tell me more than I have already stated.

Regards

Barbie · « **Reply #3 on:** March 22, 2009, 10:10:54 PM »

Even a hint as to what type of glass it is?..... country of origin?.....styles?... or any specialists that may be able to help? I really don't have a clue as to where to start. :cry:

Lustrousstone · « **Reply #4 on:** March 22, 2009, 10:25:48 PM »

Hi Barbie, patience please, not everybody visits every day and it's less than 24 hours since you posed the question. Sometimes it takes months or years to find an answer

tutu · « **Reply #5 on:** March 22, 2009, 11:49:32 PM »

Hello,

when I saw your lamp, I knew I had seen that shape before !

It looks very similar to the famous lamp called "les Coprins" made by Emile Gallé around 1907. One of the originals (there are very few original ones) is kept in the Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy, it's about 80 cm (a little more than 2,5 feet) tall, with a metal base. IF you have an original one, it's worth millions, but there have been a lot of fakes made in the last couple of decades ...

You can see the picture of the one in the Musée de l'Ecole de Nancy on this website : http://www.idverre.net/veille/dostec/contrefacon/papilionacees.pdf On the left, it's an original, on the right, a recent copy.

Tutu

Barbie · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2009, 12:17:58 AM »

Thank you so much for that information. I have had a look at your link and i agree it is the same style. I can see why people would want to copy it as it is indeed beautiful as well as unusual. The one on the right isn't very attractive though and mine does look more like the one on the left. I don't plan on selling this lamp as I love it so much, so for the time being I could be a secret millionaire

Barbie

tutu · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2009, 01:41:24 AM »

I agree, yours does indeed look a lot more like the original one !

I just made a little mistake : it was made in 1902, not 1907.

If it is a reproduction, that doesn't mean it's recent, it could be quite an old reproduction. The works of Gallé were already being copied when he was still alive (he died in 1904). This particular lamp was also produced again by the Etablissements Gallé in 1912, after his death. Most recent copies are bad quality, but some were very well made, good quality items, nearly impossible to distinguish from an original.

It's hard to tell from one picture, but yours sure looks very nice, very beautiful !

By the way, did you find a signature on it ?

Tutu.

Cathy B · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2009, 03:41:06 AM »

Just a word of caution - there will have been many, many more reproductions than originals. The base of yours is quite different from both pictured items. You really should contact someone who knows the originals and the reproductions very well before making any assumptions - the difference is quite important.

tutu · « **Reply #9 on:** March 23, 2009, 04:14:38 AM »

Quote from: Cathy B on March 23, 2009, 03:41:06 AM

Just a word of caution - there will have been many, many more reproductions than originals. The base of yours is quite different from both pictured items. You really should contact someone who knows the originals and the reproductions very well before making any assumptions - the difference is quite important.

Of course !

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