New photography by Shannon Ruff captured with a digital camera-2006.

Fairy Lamp/Epergne

Manufacturer Thomas Webb & Sons (British (Stourbridge, England), 1837 - 1990)

MediumHeated-shaded blown glass; metal mount

DimensionsOverall: 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm)
Overall, Rim: 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)

ClassificationsGlass

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.4305

Terms

Satin Burmese
Lemon
Colorless
Stourbridge

On View

Not on view

DescriptionFairy lamp/epergne consisting of a central stem, two shades, two bud vases and a central bud vase, two fairy lights, and two saucers. Satin Burmese pattern.

Label TextFAIRY LAMPS Popular from the 1880s well into the twentieth century, Fairy Lamps were originally produced to light hallways, nurseries, and sick rooms at night. Their small glass domes were designed to reflect the soft glow of the candle within, as if a fairy were trapped inside. The lamps were designed with a vent hole on top of the dome to accommodate a special type of candle, patented by Samuel Clarke of London in 1886. This candle greatly reduced the chance of fire, a common danger in Victorian homes before the advent of electricity. Clarke, a savvy entrepreneur, licensed glassmakers such as Thomas Webb & Sons to make the decorative glass shades for his trademarked Fairy Lamps. Thomas Webb & Sons Stourbridge, England Fairy Lamp and Epergne, ca. 1890 Heated-shaded blown glass; metal mount Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.4305 Experimentation in the glass industry was not limited to machinery and tools. Many glass formulas were invented and led to a wide array of new colors and patterns. These fairy lamps were made using a heat-sensitive glass called Queen's Burmese Ware, so named because Queen Victoria favored the colored effect. The addition of arsenic, uranium, or gold into the initial batch mixture caused the molten glass to change from pale yellow to deep pink when it was reheated. The lamps functioned as both lighting devices and flower containers. The lamp on the left also has a dish around the bottom for fruits or candies. The lamp on the right was decorated with enamel paint, a costly upgrade. The pattern imitates hawthorn, cherry, and plum blossoms. The design was created by Jules Barbe, a master enameller and gilder who worked as a freelance decorator for many of the glass companies in Stourbridge, England.