A very rare, old, unusual and strikingly modern-looking table lamp, sympathetically converted to electricity from a particularly large late 19th Century Messenger's oil lamp, probably in the 1930s. The base itself is made of a very bubbly blue-green glass, shot through with opal and fine powdery copper-coloured striations.
The glass is attributed to James Couper & Sons, Glasgow, which made the famous 'Clutha' series designed by Christopher Dresser for Liberty's. The bronze mounted fitting is by Messenger & Sons, a top Birmingham-based brass and bronze foundry that specialised in lamps and lighting, and which closed down in the 1930s after more than a century of trading.
The lamp bears a pre-WWII J.H. Tucker & Co. switched brass, ceramic and Bakelite B22 bayonet cap bulb-holder that still functions perfectly. We managed to squirrel away an earth connector in the cap so that the lamp is brought up to modern electrical safety requirements whilst still keeping the lamp close to the original to the state in which we found it.
The lamp has been rewired with a generous length of premium Italian three core double-insulated cable with a vintage twisted style and a white fabric braid.
c.1890-1900 James Couper / Messenger's 'Clutha' Type Bubbly Glass Table Lamp
Condition
Base wear and a few marks to the sides, as you'd expect. A single burst bubble to the inside of the lamp, but hard to spot amongst the general maelstrom. Generally, excellent for its age.
Measurements
Height: 400 mm / 15.7"
Width or Diameter: 230 mm / 9.1"
