Vintage Heavy Brass Bouillotte-Style Lamp with Shade

DIMENSIONS: Height to top of finial: 19.75″ – Base: 7″ x 5″ – Shade: 12″ wide at the bottom x 9.25″ deep at the bottom – Cord: 7 feet.  If you require additional dimensions, please send us a message.

CONDITION: Excellent preowned vintage condition (we estimate the lamp is 30-40 years old).  Shade is intact; brass has a couple of very small dark areas on top side of base, but nothing that detracts.

SHIPPING: $20 flat rate shipping for street addresses within contiguous United States.

HISTORY (from online sources; read the article here: https://www.invaluable.com/blog/bouillotte-lamps/ ): A bouillotte lamp, often made of brass, is a table lamp that typically consists of two to four candle brackets extending from a rounded base. These brackets extend from the lamp’s core to in essence form a candelabra. Capping these candelabra-like mounts is the brass Bouillotte lamp’s shade, which was often made from lacquered metal, known as tôle, that could accommodate the heat of the burning candles illuminated beneath it. These shades were typically opaque on the exterior but highly reflective on the interior to augment the light provided by the candles. Perhaps the most brilliant aspect of the traditional Bouillotte lamp’s design is the adjustable slide on which the lampshade is mounted. With the turn of a key, the tôle shade of a Bouillotte lamp can be easily raised to insert new candles or lowered to better focus the light of the flickering flames of a dwindling candle.  The Bouillotte lamp takes its name from a popular French card game called Bouillotte that emerged in the eighteenth century and sustained a following well into the century following. Played at many upper-class gatherings, Bouillotte used a reduced deck of cards and involved gambling or wagering as the round moved from player to player.  Similar to the modern game of poker, chips or counters would be thrown in as players assessed their hands. 

The French Bouillotte lamp would sit at the center of all this action.  Typically placed at the center of a round games table, known fittingly as a Bouillotte table and designed specifically for the game, a Bouillotte lamp would serve as the key source of light for players embroiled in a round.  As the stakes increased and the play became tenser, the adjustable shade could be moved accordingly to prevent glare and focus light on the cards at hand.

A WORD ABOUT VINTAGE: Our inventory consists of vintage or antique items which are more than 20 years old, usually used or pre-owned, unless marked “new old stock.”  As such, there may be signs of wear and age, which we will disclose to the best of our ability.  Nevertheless, we encourage you to carefully read the description and view the photos, especially when purchasing a gift.  All items ship with tracking and insurance, and although we do not accept returns, we will offer a refund in case of breakage or damage during transit, upon receipt of sufficient proof. 

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