Fairy lamp and epergne
Manufacturer
Thomas Webb & Sons
(British (Stourbridge, England), 1837 - 1990)
Artist
Jules Barbe
(French, 1847 - 1907)
CultureEnglish
Dateca. 1887
MediumGlass | Metal | Enamel
Heat-shaded blown and enameled glass; metal mount
DimensionsOverall: 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm)
InscribedFairy lamp saucers marked "Clarke".
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number71.4303
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 116-5, Case 34
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. Decorated by Jules Barbe French (b. 1847) Thomas Webb & Sons Stourbridge, England Fairy Lamp and Epergne, ca. 1886 Heat-shaded blown and enameled glass; metal mount Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.4303 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. Exhibition History"Cheers to Queen Victoria: British Glass from the Chrysler Collection," Waitzer Community Gallery, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, September 22, 2010 - March 20, 2011.Published ReferencesB. Morris, VICTORIAN TABLE GLASS, Ill. 165, p. 242 (similar).
Thomas Webb & Sons
Mt. Washington Glass Co.
Unknown
ca. 1830-1840
