Posted 10 years ago
Plantlust
(3 items)
I purchased this lamp from an antique store in the 1980s before I bought my house. Had no clue what she was, other than AWESOME. She's about 29 inches H.
In the meantime, I've found out that she's Art Nouveau. Her brass plate reads L'iris brise par Ant. Nelson. She's heavy but the majority of the weight is from her marble base. I was told that she's made of potted metal and not solid. The wiring still lights up (bulbs not original) but I think the bulbs that I put in are too strong for the wiring because some wax dripped out of one of the bulb sockets when it was lit for awhile. I think she's got original wiring and in the interests of fire safety, I've not plugged her in since.
The plate is French and translates as The Iris Broken by Ant. Nelson. I'm so glad the Internet was invented because I was easily able to find more info on her. Seems to be a pretty common lamp (lots of auctions). Finding info on Anton (middle initial R?)Nelson is trickier. He's listed as Austrian, French & Belgian(lol). Dates from 1880 - 1910. I've found lamps and busts, all metal on marble bases. Maybe he only worked with metal.
I would love to know more about him and more importantly, what kind of light bulb would be original to this lamp? Also wonder if she would have been on a newel post?
This is fantastic!
Thanks Phil. That's what I get for posting at Ohgodhundred without natural light.
I've swapped out the photos. Let me know if they still look wonky.