I've talked about the two kinds of thing I find irresistible: the "project" and the "work of art." This lamp is both. It is solid wood, exquisitely carved, antique with 4 lion-paw feet. Not some modern reproduction from India. It came to me in pieces, the wiring was dry-rotted, and it was covered decades of dust and grime, but the artistry was unmistakable. How could I resist?
Really, I couldn't, especially after adding "mystery" to the mix. It wasn't signed by the artist, whoever he was. It held two bulbs once, and the shade was probably wide but shallow. Perhaps stained glass. I'm guessing, of course, since the shade didn't come with. I elected to fit it up with a flicker bulb in a green glass lantern top, like an old gas lamp. It makes me think of London streetlights, and of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, for obvious reasons.
Lion paw feet are characteristic of Chippendale style (latter 18th century; that's 1700s btw) but of course there were no electric light bulbs til the 1880s, and mass production was after 1900. American wood furniture tends to be simple, almost plain; this is anything but. I finally turned up a sort-of similar paw-foot table by Louis F. Nonnast, a German immigrant woodworker whose work dates to the '20s & 30's. The feathers wrapped round the post could be considered Art Nouveau (unless they're palm fronds, in which case, I give up. Is there a story to it, I wonder.) I can only guess that it was custom-made in the 20's or 30's to match an older style of furnishing. I think it may have come from an estate in the Dayton area, and some of Dayton's historic houses ARE incredible, and it could be German or German-immigrant work... but this is all speculation. I don't really know.
And I guess it doesn't really matter now because I will be putting it up for sale within the week. It's cleaned, it's oiled, it's rewired. I saved the (possibly) original wiring and lamp parts. I didn't get around to repairing the chips as I would have liked, but I have some looming medical bills and my car's engine is making noises like a lawn mower. Se la vie, I guess. Selling some books and china too. I'm thinking about taking some sewing commissions, but we'll see.
I'll link to the listings when they're up, in case you're interested.
Today's find at work was a Butterick Delineator fashion magazine- from 1896. That was really awesome to look through. Only wish there was some fashion plates of men. I'll have to tell you about my comic attempts to alter historic costume patterns to fit my very tall husband, but some other time.
Really, I couldn't, especially after adding "mystery" to the mix. It wasn't signed by the artist, whoever he was. It held two bulbs once, and the shade was probably wide but shallow. Perhaps stained glass. I'm guessing, of course, since the shade didn't come with. I elected to fit it up with a flicker bulb in a green glass lantern top, like an old gas lamp. It makes me think of London streetlights, and of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, for obvious reasons.
Lion paw feet are characteristic of Chippendale style (latter 18th century; that's 1700s btw) but of course there were no electric light bulbs til the 1880s, and mass production was after 1900. American wood furniture tends to be simple, almost plain; this is anything but. I finally turned up a sort-of similar paw-foot table by Louis F. Nonnast, a German immigrant woodworker whose work dates to the '20s & 30's. The feathers wrapped round the post could be considered Art Nouveau (unless they're palm fronds, in which case, I give up. Is there a story to it, I wonder.) I can only guess that it was custom-made in the 20's or 30's to match an older style of furnishing. I think it may have come from an estate in the Dayton area, and some of Dayton's historic houses ARE incredible, and it could be German or German-immigrant work... but this is all speculation. I don't really know.
And I guess it doesn't really matter now because I will be putting it up for sale within the week. It's cleaned, it's oiled, it's rewired. I saved the (possibly) original wiring and lamp parts. I didn't get around to repairing the chips as I would have liked, but I have some looming medical bills and my car's engine is making noises like a lawn mower. Se la vie, I guess. Selling some books and china too. I'm thinking about taking some sewing commissions, but we'll see.
I'll link to the listings when they're up, in case you're interested.
Today's find at work was a Butterick Delineator fashion magazine- from 1896. That was really awesome to look through. Only wish there was some fashion plates of men. I'll have to tell you about my comic attempts to alter historic costume patterns to fit my very tall husband, but some other time.
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