France
19th century
These beautiful lamps are identical in all but two respects: the shape of the fitting where the "candle" meets the brass, and the hand-painting on the tole shades. Described very succinctly by design blogger Jennifer Boles, "Bouillotte lamps originated in late 18th c./ early 19th c. France for use during games of bouillotte, which was similar to modern Poker. Bouillotte lamps traditionally have dish type bases which were used to hold the game chips. Attached to the base is a shaft which holds two to four candleholders as well as a metal shade. At the top of the shaft is a screw type key, which allows one to move the shade down as the candles melt down. The idea was to avoid any type of glare in the eyes of the bouillotte players. Of course, if you have an electrified version, you won't need to move the shade, but the design is the same. What also makes this lamp so distinctive is the tole lampshade." This pair of lamps features a dolphin motif in heavy brass, in both the supports of the electrified "candles", and in the finials, which also incorporate a feathered arrow-shaft motif on the turnscrew.

Antique Lamps and Lighting
Antique Table & Desk Lamps