Early lamps reflected art nouveau’s influence

Electric lights were first marketed to the public about 1880. It is said that Louis Comfort Tiffany’s famous lily lamp with glass shades for light bulbs was the first lamp with a shade that projected light down, not up, like a candle flame.

Other lamps of the early 1900s were adapted to accept bulbs by removing the older light source, like a candle, then wiring the lamp for electricity and adding a bulb and shade. Others were made in entirely new shapes.

During the art nouveau period, sensuous women with curves were part of the designs used for glass, ceramics, bronze figurines and even furniture. So it is not surprising that a variety of lamps designed to feature women also were made.

The Loetz glass factory (1840-1940), in what is now the Czech Republic, made art glass. At around the turn of the 20th century, workers there designed a figural lamp with a bronze base shaped like a woman holding an iridescent gold glass shade above her head. The glass resembled Tiffany’s, but it was actually made at the Loetz factory. It was signed by Peter Tereszczuk (1875-1963), a well-known Ukrainian sculptor who made bronze figurines and other decorative bronzes. Bell collectors prize his bronze electric call buttons that look like a small child on a rocky base.

The lamp sold for $3,750 at a Rago Arts and Auction sale earlier this year.

Q: My old gate-leg table has a label that says it was made by the John D. Raab Chair Co. The finish on the table is a bit worn and marred. I have been considering refinishing or painting it, although I think this would decrease its value. What do you think?

A: The John D. Raab Chair Co. was in business in Grand Rapids, Mich., from 1906 to 1924, when it was taken over by the Furniture Shops of Grand Rapids. If you like the table and plan to use it, go ahead and refinish or paint it. “Brown furniture” pieces like your table are not selling for much money today, and many people are buying them at bargain prices, then refinishing or painting them to either use or resell.

Tip: Be careful when handling birdhouses, birdcages and bird feeders, old or new. It is possible to catch pigeon fever (psittacosis) through a cut or even from breathing the dust.

Terry Kovel’s column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.