Antique 19th Century French Brass and Tôle Bouillotte Desk Lamp, 1900

Details

Description

Antique 19th Century French Brass & Tôle Bouillotte Desk Lamp / Candlestick Lamp
19th-century French adjustable candlestick or student (étudiant) … Read more Antique 19th Century French Brass & Tôle Bouillotte Desk Lamp / Candlestick Lamp
19th-century French adjustable candlestick or student (étudiant) table lamp. Masterfully crafted from solid brass, the lamp features a heavy, beautifully gadrooned saucer base complete with an integrated ringed thumbpiece handle for carrying. Rising from the base is a vertical adjustment rod supporting, original conical tôle (painted tin) shade in an authentic pale mint green hue. Fitted with a faux-drip candle sleeve, this versatile piece brings quintessential 19th-century French utility and elegance to any desktop or bedside.

Why We Love It
Fully Adjustable Mechanics: The height-adjustable mechanism functions smoothly via the original, wonderfully stylised brass butterfly wing nut.

Fabulous Original Patina: The original green tôle shade retains a beautifully distressed, worn surface character that only a century of honest age can create.

Charming Utility Details: The integrated thumb ring and fingerrest handle allow the piece to double as an incredibly elegant bedside chamberstick or desk accent light.

Design & Craftsmanship
Origin: France

Materials: Solid Brass, Painted Tôle (Tin).

Details: The heavy brass circular base features micro-beaded and reeded detailing, echoed beautifully on the knurled collar beneath the candle sleeve. The rod is finished with a highly polished, acorn-form brass finial terminal.

Historical Context
Dating from the mid-to-late 19th century, this design stems from the traditional French Bouillotte and student lamps. Originally designed to burn oil or carry candles, these lamps were engineered with moveable opaque metal shades so that reading light could be directed precisely downwards onto paperwork or card games while shielding the user's eyes from glare.

Why It Works Today
This lamp hits the perfect note of understated, industrial-leaning elegance. Its small footprint and narrow, vertical silhouette make it an outstanding addition to compact writing bureaus, library tables, or nestled within a well-stocked bookshelf display.

Perfect For
Bringing historic charm to a traditional study desk or home office bureau.

Functioning as a highly decorative conversation piece on an entry console table.

Acting as an atmospheric accent light on a bedside table or deep window sill.

Restoration & Workshop Notes
This piece has been carefully cleaned and conserved in our workshop. The heavy solid brass has been gently cleaned and polished to highlight its warm reflections while preserving its deep, historic character. It has been fully rewired using premium, period-correct twisted fabric-covered three-core flex, fitted with a premium candle drip sleeve, and fully PAT tested for immediate use.

Condition
Offered in lovely antique condition, fully restored and rewired. The solid brass frame is structurally sound, stable, and shows gorgeous natural variations in the finish. The original tôle shade is structurally complete with no deep dents or holes, exhibiting beautiful, authentic historic distressing, surface oxidation, and paint loss that creates a highly desired, genuine antiquarian look.

Measurements
Height: 33 cm / 13 inches

Width: 14 cm / 5.5 inches

Depth: 20 cm / 7.9 inches

Weight: 0.8 kg / 1.8 lbs This piece is designed in the style of the selected designer and/or manufacturer,
UK Plug (up to 250V).The wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise. See less