Late 17th Century French Wrought Iron Tilting Whale Oil Lamp Circa 1675
Item History & Price
Late 17thcentury French wrought iron tilting whale oil lamp, circa 1675We purchase collections of Continental lighting, metalwork, ceramics, glass & textiles, enabling me to offer a quantity of rareantiques. Please register my store/page in your favorites, for a fine range of 14th to 19th century period metalwork, lighting& other pieces, all guaranteed, as to age, condition & origin. Ihave far more than I can possibly keep up with, as to eBay. Text, formatting & im...ages © 2020 – R. JosefBurdett-Williamson – all rights reserved.Breveté, 2020, par M. R. Josef Burdett-Williamson. ATTENTION – défense de reproduction !We are very serious, as to Intellectual Property & Author rights – violations arereported to Intellectual Properties attorneys in Paris & Leeds. Please readmy terms of sale carefully!Elly BurdettThis is in France.Other pieces are for scale.You are only buying thefeatured lamp.
Please note: For those notfamiliar with my eBay store, I’m a part-time antiques dealer.I am assisted by an expat Americanhistorian of European Decorative Arts & museum curator in France, with 46 yearsof advanced experience. Sincerely, ET Burdett Dear friends & clients: Roy here in France. Elly has a verylarge inventory of Fine Arts & Antiques – at least 4, 000 period pieces.15, 000+ French postal employees took leave of absencewhen the virus struck; rural post offices closed for 9 weeks. The virus hit less than 20 miles from my house; new"cluster" outbreaks since de-confinement have become innumerable; a 2ndwave has arrived in France.I’m often not able toreply for several days, list newarrivals, or ship – no internet! I live alone, extremely isolated on the edge of a plateau, at 3, 000 ft. altitude. Volatilethunderstorms mandate being unplugged; they destroy computers.France was undermartial law for 8 weeks; 100, 000+ police & military deployed to enforcetotal confinement. Besides fooddeliveries left 8 feet from my house, I have NO human contact. This is not toelicit sympathy – only understanding. I’m 70, & need medical care; butvisits to dentists, doctors & hospitals are not advised, except forlife-threatening problems. There have been many suicides – I’ve been living ina war zone for 7 months.France is 18% smallerthan Texas; the virus has decimated daily life – 30, 500+ people are dead – thereal number is believed to be more than 60, 000. In searching for “patient zero”, a case was found from mid-November. UKdeaths are 45, 900 – Elly works full-time+ in frontline Health Care.My rural postalservice is 3 days/week. The French Post website was crashing for 6 weeks – in May, my creditcard was hacked on their site. On June 12th, the local postal director tried tobook parcels for me – none could be shipped with added insurance.For the US, it wasworse – parcels must go via internet (no hand-written postal labels); thisis from US Customs. On July 7th, the Frenchwebsite was fixed. Until thingsimprove, Elly’s sales from France will have a minimum 10-day shippingdelay – I had a 30+ parcel backlog.eBay hasSeller Protection in place, as to all delays. The past 7 months have been beyond depressing – I've never experiencedsuch utter solitude. Be safe, & follow the science – anything lesscan be fatal. With hope, Roy & Elly The wealth and depth of range in both formal & rustic Frenchlighting, Middle Ages to the 20th century, exceeds that of any other country.No single reference book has yet to even come close to capturing this vastdiversity – the best effort to date is the 480-page, landmark 1933 work onlighting by G. Henriot, ENCYCLOPEDIE DU LUMINAIRE – Formes et DecorsApparentes (rare, out of print, & never translated). Another major source is Henry d’Allemagne’simportant HISTOIRE DU LUMINAIRE (Paris, 1891). The 4th image is a scan from page 281 of d’Allemagne – the lamp is identical, and appears inthe discussion on lamps from the 2nd half of the 17th century. Notethat the top of the reservoir has two holes; the same configuration can be seenin lamps as early as 1550 (I own the only complete example I know of – it is inpewter). Continental lamps from the 17th century provide important clues, as tothe nature of the burner on 16th century lamps. They were either 1. single, overlapped plates that pivoted into place, and had a knob and round wickopening; 2. similar, but held in place with a side-bar, such as this very rarelamp; 3. with a sliding cover; or 4. (equally important, as to 16th centurylamps) - a round sheet iron burner with a small handle that covered the entiretop of the lamp font. Please note –I can send a photo of what the burner should look like, if the buyer wished tohave it made by a tinsmith.This tilting form of standing lamp was made across Europe, and can be found from Belgium to Austria – in France, they tend to turnup in the northeast – this, and several others I’ve owned all came from theAlsace. Another related aspect is the existence of particular forms of earlyFrench lighting that are exclusive to the Rhine or Rhone River valleys, including French trumpet-based candlesticks & lamps of the 16th century –both of which I own. The surface of the drip pan is very slightly pitted, haslight overall oxidation, and the rim has very minor roughness, but there are norepairs or replacements whatsoever. The shaft has a nice swelled form with adetailed turning at the top (see photo # 12), and a close examination of thepivoting elements on the reservoir will show that they’ve been worn into by thecenturies of wear. There are traces of “grid-marks” on the shaft also – theseare original, and from an early bench vise – the same marks are fairly commonon pre-1700 copper alloy candlesticks.Linseed oil, diluted with more than 50% of solvent alcohol, isthe best, least-invasive manner I know of for treating oxidized or rusted iron- and the preference of many curators – it halts the rust/oxidation process, and after a few days, leaves the metal in a very presentable state. We do thevast majority of our antiques buying on the Continent, largely in France, buthave substantially expanded our horizons in Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy, where we now purchase & trade with numerous collector/dealers. We arenormally on the road for non-stop summers of buying in Western Europe; thisyear has been compensated for with extensive purchases of direct offers fromdealers or collectors – do keep an eye on Elly’s eBay page/store for a finerange of period pieces, to be shipped from both France and England.I very actively collect early French & other Continentallighting, mostly pre-Revolutionary, base metal lamps - I own at least 600lamps, 75+ lamp trammels, and many other related pieces. As a publishedresearcher, author/journalist, and guest curator, one of my primary goals incollecting is to advance the current limited state of knowledge, as to accuratedate-lines for lighting - I communicate with more than 50 fellow curators, internationally. What you see on eBay is considerably less than 1% of what weown – I strongly advise buyers to look over all of Elly’s eBay store listings –you’ll find a number of rarities visible in group photos.We are independently listed with the NewEngland Appraisers Association, for France or England.Condition:generally excellent, with no repairs or replacements whatsoever, but asdescribed above, and as-seen in the photos. Note: Photos are highresolution – use magnification for viewing details. Please ask, if you wishmore.© R. JosefBurdett-Williamson Certified expert & appraiser, New England Appraisers Association.FoundingTrustee, NewBedford Museum of Glass.Height– 9 & 1/4” (23.5 cm.): pan diameter – 4 & 7/8” (12.5 cm.). Weight – 460 grams, not includingpackaging.Insured mailing within Franceis 9 Euros; to the UK & EU is 16 Euros – to North America is 28 Euros.I don'tcharge for packing & handling, &always offer grouped rate posting, with no time limits. I ship from both the UK & France – pleaseread listings carefully – rates & conditions are substantiallydifferent.Important!From the UK, I usually ship within 3 to 7 working days from clearance of payment, but request that buyers beunderstanding of delays due to illness, severe weather, or computer problems: this is a small business with noemployees. Intolerant ordifficult buyers, or those leaving less than 5-star feedback (now visible) willbe black-listed. EXTREME weather is getting worse in Europe – delays are often unavoidable.This is not a"decorator" shop - eBay’s Consumer Goods-generated “Hassle-free returns”policy does not apply to arbitrary whim, or unqualified opinion. Returns are accepted - if: there is a major problem with the age, condition ororigin of a piece as described; and this is confirmed by a qualified expert with professional credentials. Photographs of any alleged damage are required - theyare mandatory for insurance claims.What you pay for shippingis actual cost – international shipping is stupidlyexpensive - I have no control over rates – I lose 6%+to PayPal UK, andoften absorb extra costs, such as double-boxing. International buyers– please inquire, as to mailing costs!Russian Federation rates are the same as the US.Note: Our independent certifications with theNew EnglandAppraisers Association (in both France & England) expedite Customsclearances, and prevent EXCESS duties from being incorrectly imposed onantiques, thus saving buyers 10% to 43% in relevant countries.Payments:PayPal, French or UK checks, or bank drafts, & all banktransfers accepted. I am obligedto accept PayPal, but prefer bank transfers, drafts or checks – PayPal UK nowtakes a 6%+bite out of all transactions - including shipping costs.I am assistedby an expatriate American historian of Decorative Arts who is a publishedantiques editor & writer, curator, certified appraiser, &internationally respected authority in numerous categories. He has placedpieces with many museums, including the Smithsonian; he assists me withacquisitions, research & texts. You can buy with confidence in yourpurchases: we are separate and private, academic collectors, looking to advancewith our own collections. R. Josef is the only European Decorative Arts specialist for the New England Appraisers Association residing in the European Union. ETBurdettDearbuyers –apologies for the copyright lines, but R. Josef is an extensively publishedexpert with ongoing academic & commercial commissions, including 2 moreforthcoming books. Listings often contain original research & informationthat has not appeared before; several eBay sellers have been reported forplagiarizing formatting & texts. IntellectualProperty rights are protected in court, when necessary.
00074
Please note: For those notfamiliar with my eBay store, I’m a part-time antiques dealer.I am assisted by an expat Americanhistorian of European Decorative Arts & museum curator in France, with 46 yearsof advanced experience. Sincerely, ET Burdett Dear friends & clients: Roy here in France. Elly has a verylarge inventory of Fine Arts & Antiques – at least 4, 000 period pieces.15, 000+ French postal employees took leave of absencewhen the virus struck; rural post offices closed for 9 weeks. The virus hit less than 20 miles from my house; new"cluster" outbreaks since de-confinement have become innumerable; a 2ndwave has arrived in France.I’m often not able toreply for several days, list newarrivals, or ship – no internet! I live alone, extremely isolated on the edge of a plateau, at 3, 000 ft. altitude. Volatilethunderstorms mandate being unplugged; they destroy computers.France was undermartial law for 8 weeks; 100, 000+ police & military deployed to enforcetotal confinement. Besides fooddeliveries left 8 feet from my house, I have NO human contact. This is not toelicit sympathy – only understanding. I’m 70, & need medical care; butvisits to dentists, doctors & hospitals are not advised, except forlife-threatening problems. There have been many suicides – I’ve been living ina war zone for 7 months.France is 18% smallerthan Texas; the virus has decimated daily life – 30, 500+ people are dead – thereal number is believed to be more than 60, 000. In searching for “patient zero”, a case was found from mid-November. UKdeaths are 45, 900 – Elly works full-time+ in frontline Health Care.My rural postalservice is 3 days/week. The French Post website was crashing for 6 weeks – in May, my creditcard was hacked on their site. On June 12th, the local postal director tried tobook parcels for me – none could be shipped with added insurance.For the US, it wasworse – parcels must go via internet (no hand-written postal labels); thisis from US Customs. On July 7th, the Frenchwebsite was fixed. Until thingsimprove, Elly’s sales from France will have a minimum 10-day shippingdelay – I had a 30+ parcel backlog.eBay hasSeller Protection in place, as to all delays. The past 7 months have been beyond depressing – I've never experiencedsuch utter solitude. Be safe, & follow the science – anything lesscan be fatal. With hope, Roy & Elly The wealth and depth of range in both formal & rustic Frenchlighting, Middle Ages to the 20th century, exceeds that of any other country.No single reference book has yet to even come close to capturing this vastdiversity – the best effort to date is the 480-page, landmark 1933 work onlighting by G. Henriot, ENCYCLOPEDIE DU LUMINAIRE – Formes et DecorsApparentes (rare, out of print, & never translated). Another major source is Henry d’Allemagne’simportant HISTOIRE DU LUMINAIRE (Paris, 1891). The 4th image is a scan from page 281 of d’Allemagne – the lamp is identical, and appears inthe discussion on lamps from the 2nd half of the 17th century. Notethat the top of the reservoir has two holes; the same configuration can be seenin lamps as early as 1550 (I own the only complete example I know of – it is inpewter). Continental lamps from the 17th century provide important clues, as tothe nature of the burner on 16th century lamps. They were either 1. single, overlapped plates that pivoted into place, and had a knob and round wickopening; 2. similar, but held in place with a side-bar, such as this very rarelamp; 3. with a sliding cover; or 4. (equally important, as to 16th centurylamps) - a round sheet iron burner with a small handle that covered the entiretop of the lamp font. Please note –I can send a photo of what the burner should look like, if the buyer wished tohave it made by a tinsmith.This tilting form of standing lamp was made across Europe, and can be found from Belgium to Austria – in France, they tend to turnup in the northeast – this, and several others I’ve owned all came from theAlsace. Another related aspect is the existence of particular forms of earlyFrench lighting that are exclusive to the Rhine or Rhone River valleys, including French trumpet-based candlesticks & lamps of the 16th century –both of which I own. The surface of the drip pan is very slightly pitted, haslight overall oxidation, and the rim has very minor roughness, but there are norepairs or replacements whatsoever. The shaft has a nice swelled form with adetailed turning at the top (see photo # 12), and a close examination of thepivoting elements on the reservoir will show that they’ve been worn into by thecenturies of wear. There are traces of “grid-marks” on the shaft also – theseare original, and from an early bench vise – the same marks are fairly commonon pre-1700 copper alloy candlesticks.Linseed oil, diluted with more than 50% of solvent alcohol, isthe best, least-invasive manner I know of for treating oxidized or rusted iron- and the preference of many curators – it halts the rust/oxidation process, and after a few days, leaves the metal in a very presentable state. We do thevast majority of our antiques buying on the Continent, largely in France, buthave substantially expanded our horizons in Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy, where we now purchase & trade with numerous collector/dealers. We arenormally on the road for non-stop summers of buying in Western Europe; thisyear has been compensated for with extensive purchases of direct offers fromdealers or collectors – do keep an eye on Elly’s eBay page/store for a finerange of period pieces, to be shipped from both France and England.I very actively collect early French & other Continentallighting, mostly pre-Revolutionary, base metal lamps - I own at least 600lamps, 75+ lamp trammels, and many other related pieces. As a publishedresearcher, author/journalist, and guest curator, one of my primary goals incollecting is to advance the current limited state of knowledge, as to accuratedate-lines for lighting - I communicate with more than 50 fellow curators, internationally. What you see on eBay is considerably less than 1% of what weown – I strongly advise buyers to look over all of Elly’s eBay store listings –you’ll find a number of rarities visible in group photos.We are independently listed with the NewEngland Appraisers Association, for France or England.Condition:generally excellent, with no repairs or replacements whatsoever, but asdescribed above, and as-seen in the photos. Note: Photos are highresolution – use magnification for viewing details. Please ask, if you wishmore.© R. JosefBurdett-Williamson Certified expert & appraiser, New England Appraisers Association.FoundingTrustee, NewBedford Museum of Glass.Height– 9 & 1/4” (23.5 cm.): pan diameter – 4 & 7/8” (12.5 cm.). Weight – 460 grams, not includingpackaging.Insured mailing within Franceis 9 Euros; to the UK & EU is 16 Euros – to North America is 28 Euros.I don'tcharge for packing & handling, &always offer grouped rate posting, with no time limits. I ship from both the UK & France – pleaseread listings carefully – rates & conditions are substantiallydifferent.Important!From the UK, I usually ship within 3 to 7 working days from clearance of payment, but request that buyers beunderstanding of delays due to illness, severe weather, or computer problems: this is a small business with noemployees. Intolerant ordifficult buyers, or those leaving less than 5-star feedback (now visible) willbe black-listed. EXTREME weather is getting worse in Europe – delays are often unavoidable.This is not a"decorator" shop - eBay’s Consumer Goods-generated “Hassle-free returns”policy does not apply to arbitrary whim, or unqualified opinion. Returns are accepted - if: there is a major problem with the age, condition ororigin of a piece as described; and this is confirmed by a qualified expert with professional credentials. Photographs of any alleged damage are required - theyare mandatory for insurance claims.What you pay for shippingis actual cost – international shipping is stupidlyexpensive - I have no control over rates – I lose 6%+to PayPal UK, andoften absorb extra costs, such as double-boxing. International buyers– please inquire, as to mailing costs!Russian Federation rates are the same as the US.Note: Our independent certifications with theNew EnglandAppraisers Association (in both France & England) expedite Customsclearances, and prevent EXCESS duties from being incorrectly imposed onantiques, thus saving buyers 10% to 43% in relevant countries.Payments:PayPal, French or UK checks, or bank drafts, & all banktransfers accepted. I am obligedto accept PayPal, but prefer bank transfers, drafts or checks – PayPal UK nowtakes a 6%+bite out of all transactions - including shipping costs.I am assistedby an expatriate American historian of Decorative Arts who is a publishedantiques editor & writer, curator, certified appraiser, &internationally respected authority in numerous categories. He has placedpieces with many museums, including the Smithsonian; he assists me withacquisitions, research & texts. You can buy with confidence in yourpurchases: we are separate and private, academic collectors, looking to advancewith our own collections. R. Josef is the only European Decorative Arts specialist for the New England Appraisers Association residing in the European Union. ETBurdettDearbuyers –apologies for the copyright lines, but R. Josef is an extensively publishedexpert with ongoing academic & commercial commissions, including 2 moreforthcoming books. Listings often contain original research & informationthat has not appeared before; several eBay sellers have been reported forplagiarizing formatting & texts. IntellectualProperty rights are protected in court, when necessary.
00074
