Posted 12 years ago
osheri
(1 item)
These Lamps are in a Central Wi bar/restaurant. Wanting to know if anyone knows the origin of these..
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They look like "figureheads", decorations from the bow of wooden ships of the nineteenth century an earlier. I love the one holding two lamps; an indicator that they might well be reproductions. Is it a themed bar/restaurant?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figurehead_(object)
I believe the place was a fish shop at one time. They left the figureheads there when they sold it and it is now a trendy bar/restaurant on the riverwalk.
I was just captivated by these and told the owner I would try to find anything out about them.
osheri They look like ship mermaids to me also but I am wondering what part of Wi since I am here as well as a few others on CW . They are wonderful but I also wonder if they are reproduced as they show very little wear to ever have been at sea . But it does tie into a tackle shop decor something ship related ,maybe props for one ? . Very interesting pieces !
The figurehead embodied the spirit of a ship and was originally believed to placate the gods of the sea and ensure a safe voyage. Almost every prow had a carved figure looking down at the waves. This one is reproduced of a hard lightweight fibrous material. Original figureheads were a carved wooden decoration, usually female or bestial, during the 16th to the 19th centuries. Although earlier ships had some form of bow ornamentation (e.g. the Viking ships of ca. 800-1100 CE), the general practice was introduced with the galleons of the 16th century.
These are still available made in resin vs wood . What are yours made of ?
A example of newer ones . Yours does appear older than brand new but just showing they have been available for some years and still are .This is similar
http://www.nauticaldecorstore.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=294
http://www.nauticaltropical.com/store/Mermaidspage2.htm
http://www.google.com/search?q=mermaid+ship+figurehead&hl=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8MkuUM_8B8jzyAHk34HABg&sqi=2&ved=0CFAQsAQ&biw=1355&bih=734
Manikin, They are in Stevens Point at a place called Kristins Riverwalk.
The ones holding the lamps are actually 2 different figureheads as they have different facial expressions.
If your near you should go see them.
osheri I am a few hundred miles from there . The one in blue seems older doesn't she ? The ones holding lamps the lamps look newer and of coarse ships would have electric lamps like that on the other 2 . Very nice I hope someone on here can ID them for you . I just surmised maybe made later in shape of a ships figure and made for decor purposes ? I do love them .
Bellin drive over there and grab the mermaid for me ok :-) Your closer . I love them :-)
Hi Bellin 68, This place is in Stevens Point, It's called Kristins Riverwalk Food and Spirits. It is a very nice place and is also rumored to be haunted...
You can look this place up on Facebook. The profile is one of the Mermaid lamps.
Take a Big Truck Sean :-) ok
I have this very fixture. These were used over the counters of a mens clothing store called J Riggings. I know this as I worked for this store for 17 years. My fixture was placed in my store in 1977. These were in many of the stores. Beyond that I don't know the manufacture of these lights. Caprice
Thank you so much Caprice, I will pass this on to the owner.
Caprice is exactly right!
We also have this exact hanging lamp in our home.
We purchased it from our local J Riggings, after it went out of business at the Towne Mall, in Middletown, Ohio.
Also if you see the horror film, the Spell , from 1977, it features this same lamp in the final moments as can be seen on utube. My husband was watching it last night on the Comet channel and we both screamed out at the same time when we saw it!
I really enjoyed seeing these two hanging in Wisconsin!
Childhoodmemories
I watched the last 10 minutes of the spell that you said on YouTube trying to see the lamp and I did not see it did I miss it? Can you tell me in the movie where it is and what scene it's in
I am sorry I am not to computer savvy , and I thought I would never remember how I found that , but finally did!
I typed in
Utube final moments of the 1977 film, The Spell, in English.
The second one it shows is
THE SPELL pt 2. Duration 5:07 Teenage girl has a knockdown battle with her Mom
Click on that one and be ready too pause it at 2:47, and you will see the Mermaid hanging lamp, just like ours!
I saw it! Awesome to see in a movie.
Oh great! So glad it worked!
Now you understand why my husband and I got so excited when we saw it!
It's exactly like the one hanging in our family room!
I looked up the producer of that film and he grew up in the Cincinnati area and graduated from Ohio State University.
I wonder what happened to the one from the film.
I got excited to see it to:)
I bet if you googled it you could find out what happened to it????
In Germany they are Lusterweibchen chandeliers. Perhaps these are copies of that theme.
Slack jack
I looked those up and they do seem very similar . Lovely pieces!
Thank you for your info!
Childhood
I took Osheri's advice and googled
Jo Mead hanging Mermaid light, after stumbling on a website called
Inst.Appraisal and typed in hanging mermaid lamp .
On that website, I discovered the name Jo Mead on their lamp, so I grabbed the ladder, climbed up , and sure enough, mine is stamped Jo Mead, on the orange ruffle thing around the waist, on the back, and on that website read the many great comments of people that own this lamp, and where they got it.
Another choice showed one that had been sold on eBay , in Dec 2013, for $800.00 and $99.00 for shipping.
You can click on that original eBay listing and read invaluable info on the artist who made the ones from J. Riggins.
Thanks for all the information that has already been shared. We just recently picked up a Jo Mead mermaid chandelier and are trying to find out all we can on it. This is very helpful! Trying to figure out how to post pics here...
I just posted a show and tell at https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/244747-jo-mead-mermaid-chandelier?in=activity Thanks in advance for any information anyone can share! ~ Kelly
I knew Josephine Mead & worked for her in the 80s in Chgo where her shop was and continued painting her pieces after the company sold. The mermaid chandelier was a favorite of mine to paint. They arent "antiques" per se. They are plaster reproductions that artists then painted to look like antiques in colors buyers chose. They were bought by designers and were in a few bars and are in the House On the Rock in Wisconsin. Jo's work was totally cool. And she was a character.