AN OIL LAMP ADORNED WITH A GREEK HOPLITE

France, 1890s, height: 65 cm, inventory No. MULUM 817, Lighting Museum / City of Liège

This oil lamp is adorned with a massive brass statue depicting a Greek hoplite* carrying a small, red glass top, embellished with a small tulip in coloured opaline.

The glass top hides the reservoir for the oil. It can be attached to a base in statue form, as is the case for this brass hoplite, but also to any other shape of base or even on a piano sconce. The upper part of the top is adorned with a Kosmos spout. This spout was created in Germany in 1865 by the Wild und Wessel firm in Berlin but was copied and manufactured in other countries. The round wick soaks up the oil and produces a round flame when lit with a match. The flame is protected by a straight elongated glass sheath.

This lamp was manufactured after 1869 by the Gaudard firm in Morbier, in the Jura area of France, and the company is still active today. It bears witness to the progress in oil-powered lighting in the second half of the 19th century and was aimed at customers who were fairly financially well-off.

This lamp was presented as object of the month for October, as part of the Slopes at Night-time festival of lights in Liège.

* A hoplite was a heavily armed infantry soldier in ancient Greece. His armament included a round or oval shield, a helmet, body armour, shin armour, a double-sided sword and a lance. Philippe Deitz, Curator at MULUM / Lighting Museum, City of Liège

Philippe Deitz
Curator at MULUM / Lighting Museum
City of Liège

Object location

The artefacts are visible in the object of the month showcase in the entrance hall of the Grand Curtius Museum in Liège.

Captions for visuals

AN OIL LAMP ADORNED WITH A GREEK HOPLITE - Lighting Museum. Copyright: City of Liège.