Pair of Art Nouveau glass and bronze oil lamps, Europe, c. 1900

An elegant pair of Art Nouveau-era oil lamps or table-top lanterns. They feature a sculptural base and shaft in gilded bronze, comprising sinuous plant stems intertwined with flowers and buds in a ‘coup de fouet’ style; the piece is likely of German cast, bearing its own ‘molede’ number (333-1647-99).

The structure supports ovoid green glass reservoirs with a subtle crackled or marbled texture, similar to the ‘Creta martelé’ model by Johann Lötz Witwe. They retain the original brass wick holders with a graduated dial bearing the inscription (‘ROYAL BRENNER 15’’’) and the glass chimney tubes.

The piece is topped with tulip-shaped shades in light green double-layered opal glass with wavy rims, hand-enamelled with ochre flowers featuring long petals, leaves and gold scrollwork. These shades may originate from the production of double-layered glass with a white background, ‘Farbschicht auf Weiß’, which Loetz developed during that period.

Total height: 67 cm (approx.); Internal glass dimensions: 14–15 cm (approx.)

Provenance: Private European collection.