Some Lamp Perspective

from Michael Krumme of LA

I’ve read the comments regarding Steuben pieces being drilled to convert them into lamps with great interest. My feelings are really kind of all over the map on this issue. If the piece was made to be a lamp and was drilled at the factory, then it becomes a matter of personal preference: would you rather have a lovely Steuben vase, or the same piece mounted as a lamp? I suppose not all pieces require drilling in order to convert (typically) a vase into a lamp. The benefit of that kind of conversion is that restoration to the piece’s original state is possible.

From time to time, one encounters a piece that has been drilled to serve as a lamp base which is so rare or personally captivating that it is a must-have. For example, I am a collector of black glass. I once saw a Nubian Black Sinclaire vase with an extremely detailed all-over Egyptian themed etching. It had been converted to be a lamp, and on top of that, was badly damaged. I did not purchase it, but from the moment I saw it, I decided I had to have an example of this ware. That was at least five years ago. I’m still looking. Had the piece “merely” had a hole drilled in the bottom, I might have purchased it; however, the damage was more severe. I’ve attached photographs of the vase dis-assembled from the lamp hardware. The detail of the etching is just stunning.

Sinclaire

Finally, I can readily understand the desire to have lamp hardware that is original to the piece. Having such hardware is ideal, and lucky is the person who has it. But as we know, over a span of decades, people take things apart, things break, and parts are lost. From a practical standpoint, who has the time and resources to scour the globe for just the right parts to restore a lamp — if they even exist to be purchased? Further, one cannot always know what parts were originally used on any given piece.

Some years back, I purchased a stunning Nubian Black Sinclaire lamp base on eBay. I found the shape listed as a lamp in Farrar book II (#12625). It is a very thick and heavy piece, and has a factory-drilled hole on the side. It came to me with no hardware of any kind. I have no idea what it might have had originally, and I might not live long enough to find out, much less find the parts. I took it to a friend who has had a lamp shop here in Los Angeles for nearly 50 years. We found pieces out of a modern lamp supply store catalog, and put together a “solution” that fits my taste. Some of the parts only came as brass, and had to be sent out to be chrome-plated, which was not cheap. The result is as you see in the photograph. I realize that my taste is probably more austere than most of our members’, but it is highly pleasing to me, and I use it daily. I would never give this chrome treatment to a Steuben Cluthra or Mat-su-no-ke lamp, but if I found one with missing or no parts, I would seek the help of a professional and come up with the best possible solution that is period-appropriate.

We can all agree about the importance of preserving our Steuben glass (and lamps.) Being a purist as to these “lamp issues” is great, but being practical has its benefits, too.