The Auction Addict: Lamp Week: Lesson Two: Gilty PLEASURES


Photo courtesy of Mary McDonald: Interiors: The Allure of Style Mary McDonald used her gold pineapple lamp in a show house to great effect.

A little bit of gold in a room is never a bad thing: after all it reflects light and exudes warmth, two things that benefit nearly any space. Thus, it's only natural that for my second installment of LAMP WEEK, we are going to focus on gilt bronze, or bronze doré, lamps. Several great pairs are coming up for auction soon, including these lovely examples at Kamelot, in Philadelphia.

Two pairs of 1920s gilt bronze lamps, at Kamelot on September 24th, estimate $800-1,200 (above) and $1,200-1,800 (below).

But before we look at more examples, what is gilt bronze, exactly? Well, it means what it sounds like (phew!): a bronze object that has been gilded with gold. But we're not entirely out of the woods because the decorative term has several synonyms. Gilt bronze is also called gilded bronze, bronze doré and ormulu--the latter two being French terms that are variants of their word for gold, or.

Charlotte Moss loves gilt lamps. Here's one from her book, Charlotte Moss Decorates: The Art of Creating Elegant and Inspired Rooms. Note how the gilt lamp, which can look intense in an auction photo, seems appropriate when viewed in context, and complements the lacquer screen (below).

Bronze doré as I prefer to think of it (because I took French and need to feel like I didn't forget all of it), is a decorative technique that peaked in popularity in 17th and 18th century France (Hello, Louis XIV). It's created when mercury and high karat gold are mixed in an amalgam and applied to a bronze object. The object is then fired at a high temperature. The mercury burns off, the gold stays behind, and- volia!- just the kind of grand and shiny object that set Marie Antoinette's heart aflutter.

The technique is very effective. Too bad it's also highly toxic. Most gilders dropped dead before the age of 40 of mercury poisoning, so in 1830, France outlawed the practice. Today, most bronze-doré is actually electroplated, and often doesn't really have much gold in it at all. If you can find the early stuff, grab on to it-- but say a little prayer for the poor gilder and his family.

Okay, enough with the gristly details. Let's get to the goods! If you prefer your bronze less doré, this pair should do the job nicely...

Gilt metal lamps, at Michaan's in California on October 2nd, estimate $200-300.

Most gilded lamps you'll find at auction tend to be parcel-gilt (partially gilded, though the word is parcel). My favorite style is the bouillotte lamp, which is absolutely as classic as a Kelly bag. (I've probably done enough history for one day, so if you're curious about bouillotte lamps--which do have an interesting story --please view my Art & Antiques Glossary.) Lots of love has been shown to the bouillotte, and if you keep your eyes peeled, you'll see them everywhere. Michael Smith uses them...

Courtesy of Michael S. Smith: Elements of Style

Mary McDonald...

Courtesy of Mary McDonald: Interiors: The Allure of Style

Bunny Williams (if you can see it!)...

From Point of View: Three Decades of Decorating Elegant and Comfortable Houses.

I could go on and on, but I think I've proven my point about these handy elegant lamps. Several nice examples are coming up for bidding--so look around your home to see where you can add a little shimmer of gold. You won't regret it. Happy bidding everyone!