Topic: Powell / Whitefriars Floating Candle Lamp? in Wrought Iron Stand

[Bernard C]

         

Click either image to enlarge.

Individual GlassGallery links with click main image to enlarge feature:

Side view

View showing offset in leg

Inverted glass and separate stand

View into glass and separate stand

In use as a lamp on Burns Night

In use as a lamp on its own.

Height 4½" 11.3cm (complete), 4" 9.9cm (glass only), weight 7½oz 219g.
Note the elegant finishing of the base, the folded rim, and the 12 crimped rim using a former.
Iron ring diameter 1.67" internal, 1.86" external.
Iron bar 0.11" square (all three measured with an old imperial micrometer).

There are plenty of examples of Powell / Whitefriars wrought iron stands in the books and on the Internet, and I believe that this stand matches the general style produced by the firm's blacksmith quite well.   Better than this, I found an exact match, apart from the number and size of the rings.   This is a pair of mounted flutes formerly in the collection of Barbara Morris, and sold by Salisbury auctioneers Woolley & Wallis on 23 June 2010.   See Barbara Morris Estate Sale Lot 5.   Click on the image to enlarge.

What is it?   It seems to me too large for a toothpick and too small for a spill, so a floating candle lamp was all I could come up with.   As I have shown, you could just about read with it.   For anyone interested the book is our family Burns, the 8th edition of 1814 by Cadell & Davies, expanded to five volumes to include a huge collection of Burns' correspondence, and by virtue of this a "first thus".   It is accompanied by a Victorian glass containing an appropriate liquid.

Date?   All I have found are the dates of the Whitefriars blacksmith and his stands, from the mid 1870s for lighting, and the late 1870s for vessels, through to the early 1920s.

I would welcome more accurate and detailed information and further views and opinions.

Thanks for your interest.

Bernard C. 

[Patrick]

Hi Bernard,
 I am afraid that I do not think the glass is Powell or even the stand is Powell.
The  2 Barbara Morris pieces on the left and right of the center piece may not be Powell.
I have many images of Powell metalwork and none have the scrolling shown in yours or the Barbara Morris pieces.
A usual attribution can be made if there is copper or brass added to the point of contact with the surface that the stand rests on . Does yours have this ?

Here is an image of typical Powell metalwork....

Cheers,

Patrick.

[Bernard C]

Patrick — grateful thanks for your interesting and informative reply.   Sorry about the delay.   I had to find the piece and unpack it.

...   I am afraid that I do not think the glass is Powell or even the stand is Powell.   ...

Please do not concern yourself.   I'm just after the truth, as best as is possible, and, in this case, not being Powell may be slightly more interesting than a Powell attribution.

...   A usual attribution can be made if there is copper or brass added to the point of contact with the surface that the stand rests on . Does yours have this ?   ...

No.   There is no trace of a surface protecting strip of copper or brass on the base of the stand.

All we can say for certain now is that the Morris and my stands were forged by the same blacksmith.   The Morris flutes and my vessel were not necessarily by the same glassworks, although both look English to me.

In relation to the Powell wrought iron stands, we now have two possibilities.   The first is that an unknown glassworks or metalbasher copied Powell's A&C style.   The second is that Powell saw these stands, and decided to produce something similar, improving on them with his ant-rust stain non-ferrous protective strips.

I think the most realistic attribution for my piece is now "Contemporary with but not Powell, English, possibly Stourbridge."

What do you think?

Bernard C.