18th C German Pewter Spout Lamp Bremen Hallmark 1680 Key Shield Whale Oil 8"

Details

Description

This is a rare and historically significant 18th-century pewter spout lamp, featuring the prestigious Bremen "Key in Shield" hallmark. The … Read more This is a rare and historically significant 18th-century pewter spout lamp, featuring the prestigious Bremen "Key in Shield" hallmark. The lamp is constructed with a heavy, cast-pewter columnar body and a wide, deep drip-pan base designed to catch overflow from the diagonal wick spout.

This specific form, often referred to as a "Kyrie" or "Pancake" style lamp, represents the transition from primitive fat lamps to more sophisticated early oil lighting. It retains its original wick pick and brass suspension chain, which were essential for managing the flame. The underside of the base features a remarkably crisp struck touchmark: a heraldic shield with a key above the date "1680," identifying it as high-quality Bremen pewter.

Item Specifications
Object Type: Spout Lamp / Early Oil Lamp

Material: Fine Pewter (High tin content), Brass Chain

Origin: Bremen, Germany (Continental Europe)

Date of Manufacture: Circa 1750 (Marked 1680 for Guild/Master Year)

Hallmark: St. Peter’s Key in Shield over "1680"

Keywords: Bremen, 1680, St. Peter's Key, Master Mark, Spout Lamp, Whale Oil, Tallow, Primitive, 18th Century.

Reference for Citation
Reference: Die Deutschen Zinngießer und ihre Marken (The German Pewterers and Their Marks)
Author: Erwin Hintze
Note: Hintze identifies the "Key in Shield" as the town mark of Bremen. See Volume 5 (North German Pewterers) for variations of the Bremen key mark used throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.

Item dimensions: 8.25 in tall × 5.5 in wide × 5.5 in deep
Weight of item only: 14.1 oz See less