Art Deco WMF Dinanderie Paul Hanstein 1920s Antique Orientalist Table Lamp
Item History & Price
Art Deco WMF mixed metal table lamp base in the form of a Chinese meiping vase on a hand carved wooden stand.
Attributed to Paul Hanstein, pioneer of metal treatments and patination for the WMF, (Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik) company of Geisling in Bavaria in Germany in the 1920's. The lamp is stamped with the 'Oden' tower makers mark on the underside of the wooden stand. This mark was used from 1925.
The lamp base is a darkish to medium brown like that of patinat...ed bronze. The design is images of fish swimming through swirling water and water plants. It is evocative of cloisonne work and is done in what is called in German, metalmalerei, ie painting in metal. The surface effects are the result of layering of metal with metal treatments like neillo, in Japan known as 'shakudo' which renders the surface blackish and silvertone inlay and also the removal of metal for the swishes of water as well as a what is possibly a wash of gold color. The upper portion of the form is darkened, I believe it is an applied patina. I have cleaned the lamp base with mild soap and water but have not used any copper polish.
Photographs are taken in various lighting conditions. The ones that appear to be a brighter color are taken with light shining directly at the object. The photographs include flash reflections, appearing as bright spots. The lamp does not have 'bright' spots but is overall a mellow medium to darker brownish toward the top of the form.
The director of WMF, Dr. Hugo Debach had a keen interest in oriental fine goods and the WMF company, even before WW1, had experimented with Japanese techniques of patinating metal. From 1927 this line of production objects were identified with the word IKORA in reference to their Noble Metal line. This lamp base is from 1925 or 1926 having a mark that was used in their mixed metalwork, the Geisling tower and underneath the letter 'W' and underneath that, 'MF'.
This lamp base has a telescopically extendable central post the height of which can be adjusted to raise or lower the height of the shade four inches. There is a thumb screw on the post to maintain the post at the raised position.
The lamp is about 27 inches, (aprox. 69 cm) tall, or about 23 inches, (aprox. 59 cm) with the height of the central post lowered.It lamp base form is about 10 inches, (about 25.4 cm) at it's widest diameter narrowing to a diameter of about 5 inches, (about 12.75 cm) toward the base of the form.The lamp base element stands about 12 inches tall, (about 30.5 cm) including the wooden base.
I am offering the lamp base. The lamp shade is not for sale but is included in photos to illustrate a style that works well with the lamp base.
Attributed to Paul Hanstein, pioneer of metal treatments and patination for the WMF, (Wurttembergische Metallwarenfabrik) company of Geisling in Bavaria in Germany in the 1920's. The lamp is stamped with the 'Oden' tower makers mark on the underside of the wooden stand. This mark was used from 1925.
The lamp base is a darkish to medium brown like that of patinat...ed bronze. The design is images of fish swimming through swirling water and water plants. It is evocative of cloisonne work and is done in what is called in German, metalmalerei, ie painting in metal. The surface effects are the result of layering of metal with metal treatments like neillo, in Japan known as 'shakudo' which renders the surface blackish and silvertone inlay and also the removal of metal for the swishes of water as well as a what is possibly a wash of gold color. The upper portion of the form is darkened, I believe it is an applied patina. I have cleaned the lamp base with mild soap and water but have not used any copper polish.
Photographs are taken in various lighting conditions. The ones that appear to be a brighter color are taken with light shining directly at the object. The photographs include flash reflections, appearing as bright spots. The lamp does not have 'bright' spots but is overall a mellow medium to darker brownish toward the top of the form.
The director of WMF, Dr. Hugo Debach had a keen interest in oriental fine goods and the WMF company, even before WW1, had experimented with Japanese techniques of patinating metal. From 1927 this line of production objects were identified with the word IKORA in reference to their Noble Metal line. This lamp base is from 1925 or 1926 having a mark that was used in their mixed metalwork, the Geisling tower and underneath the letter 'W' and underneath that, 'MF'.
This lamp base has a telescopically extendable central post the height of which can be adjusted to raise or lower the height of the shade four inches. There is a thumb screw on the post to maintain the post at the raised position.
The lamp is about 27 inches, (aprox. 69 cm) tall, or about 23 inches, (aprox. 59 cm) with the height of the central post lowered.It lamp base form is about 10 inches, (about 25.4 cm) at it's widest diameter narrowing to a diameter of about 5 inches, (about 12.75 cm) toward the base of the form.The lamp base element stands about 12 inches tall, (about 30.5 cm) including the wooden base.
I am offering the lamp base. The lamp shade is not for sale but is included in photos to illustrate a style that works well with the lamp base.
