Images(8)

hanging lamp

Object NameHanging Lamp

Made FromGlass, Gilding, Enamels

Dateprobably 1850-1900

Place Madeprobably Italy, probably Venice

TechniqueBlown (two gathers), applied, gilded, enameled

SizeOverall H: 31 cm, Diam (max without handles): 22 cm

Accession Number52.1.86

Curatorial Area(s)

Modern

Exhibitions

Fragile Beauty: Treasures from The Corning Museum of Glass

Not On View

Physical DescriptionColorless, very bubbly; gilding and opaque enamels: blue, red, light green, light yellow, and white. Blown (two gathers); handles applied; gilded and enameled.

Lamp with roughly globular body. Rim plain, with rounded lip; neck shaped like truncated cone, with concave profile; wall curves down and out, then straightens, flaring outward with slightly convex profile, before curving down and in, and tapering; base is hollow and trumpet-shaped, with rounded lip; pontil mark (D. 2.5 cm) consists of ring of six adjoining “petals” surrounding center which has no scar. Six equidistant vertical handles dropped onto upper wall, drawn out, down, and in, and attached to wall above greatest diameter, with excess glass from casting off pulled upward over two-thirds of their length.

Gilded and enameled decoration covers neck, body, and foot. All decoration was applied to exterior of vessel and all motifs are outlined in red. Registers (except at rim) have borders consisting of two parallel red lines, as do medallions. All surfaces that have no enamel appear to have been gilded.

On neck: two registers. Upper (broad) register has three equidistant circular medallions (D with border 7.5 cm), each with band of interlaced vegetal motifs surrounding smaller medallion which contains red goblet with red bar above and green bar below; spaces between medallions are occupied by Arabic inscription in naskhi script, written in blue and embellished with simple red and white vegetal motifs. Lower (narrow) register has six equidistant ten-lobed medallions, each containing peony flower on blue background; each spaces between two medallion has one flying bird and scrolls.

On body: three registers. Uppermost (broadest) register has vegetal ornament on blue background, punctuated by handles, each of which is contained in narrow obovate frame that is rounded at top and pointed at bottom; two motifs with luxuriant stems, leaves, and flowers alternate in spaces between handles: (1) has small flower with six petals at top and large peony flower at bottom, and (2) has large peony flower at top and small flower with six petals at bottom. Central (narrowest) register, at and just below greatest diameter, has continuous band of birds in flight (birds facing up alternate with birds facing down) and scrolls. Lowest register has three equidistant circular medallions (D with border 8 cm), each with band of interlaced vegetal motifs surrounding smaller medallion which contains red goblet with red bar above and green bar below, identical to medallions on neck; each space between medallions is occupied by panel shaped like isosceles triangle with apex pointing down, which is filled with interlaced vegetal motif in blue, red, light green, light yellow, and white.

On foot: single register. Register is outlined in blue, as are three equidistant lobed medallions, each containing vegetal motif in red, light green, light yellow, and white; spaces between medallions are filled with vegetal scrolls with red dot at center.
Provenance

Source Fahim Kouchakji (b. Syria, 1886-1976) - 1952

Former Collection Le Marquis de St. Leve D'Aquierre