Archive for August, 2021

Glass beehive oil lamp with metal witch’s hat base, c.1850

Sunday, August 15th, 2021

This beehive form glass oil lamp measures 6.25 inches high and was most likely made in the USA in the middle 1800s. It maintains its original brass oil burner fitting but lost its original glass base many years ago. As oil lamps were in daily use, it’s not unusual that many were broken and ultimately repaired in inventive ways. I have dozens of glass oil lamps in my collection with variations on metal and wood replacement bases.

When the lamp base became detached well over 100 years ago, a skilled tinsmith made this metal replacement base which resembles a witch’s hat. Please enter “oil lamp” in my search window to see many more examples of oil lamp repairs.

This lamp with similar form shows what the simple glass base on my lamp may have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Collect Lamps

Silver lustre cream jug with metal handle, c.1840

Saturday, August 7th, 2021

This silver lustre pottery cream jug with molded ribbing was made in England, c.1840. It measures 3.5 inches high, 6.5 inches wide.

Well over 100 years ago after the jug took a tumble, a metal replacement handle with crimped edges and an upper horizontal support strap was added by a tinsmith. Tin repairs such as this are perhaps the most common type of make-do repair and I have dozens of similar examples in my collection.

This silver lustre cream jug with similar form shows what the original handle on my jug may have looked like.

Photo courtesy of Catawiki