Posted 10 years ago
Krazy4Kosmos
(4 items)
The lamp arrived safely and it is beautiful but dirty! Zowie thought someone has tried to clean it but it looks like the dirtiest lamp I've ever seen. I don't know what is inside there, grain husks?, chicken feathers? but it looks like it's been stored in a barn for a long time. What may have looked as if it was cleaned is the underside looks perfect and it turns out that everyplace that is protected is very shiny and clean (non corroded or pitted). I think it may be ormolu (gold gilt on bronze). Nothing in the lamp is magnetic and the exposed metal of the base is yellow, most likely bronze. The base seems to be a 2 part mold. After my big speech on the need for clean, I am intimidated by the possibility of ormolu and how I should go about cleaning it. The kerosene build up is manifested and to strip that off would require some harsh cleaning that would probably strip everything else with it. I don't want to boil it because of the porcelain/pottery and I don't want to try to remove the screws as they are stuck and I don't want to break them or replace them so I don't think I can remove the carriage around the font pottery. I don't want to perhaps wreck the lamp by stripping it but I'm concerned about the build up eating the metal. I also think it would look better brightened up as it was intended to be. So when I thought about not cleaning the metal, I got kinda giddy and thought well I guess then I could just fire it up! So I did. I rigged it with a customized washer, a 14''' Kosmos burner and a shade and was burning that night. I wonder if anyone knows a good way to clean paraffin build up beside Blue Magic or if anyone has any advice for me. This lamp has no marks that I could see. There were a few similar examples I saw on line and as it turns out they were unmarked as well and they were being sold as made by Sevres or of Sevres style or Louis XVl style. I think this lamp is of the Empire style but in a comeback fashion in the Art Nouveau age of around 1895 - 1920. All of this, of course is just a wild guess on my part. I would love to know more and I would love to know what some people think should be my next step with it. Either way and as the lamp stands today, I am absolutely thrilled!
The sevres style never really spread to kerosene lamps. possibly the cover was broken and they decided to go kerosene which does not help value. Water doesn't help and the gilding can go with one botched cleaning. Maybe there is someone who can clean it near you who has some experience and can guide you. Reach out and search...