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FREE-BLOWN MERCURIAL RING STAND LAMP, colorless wi

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FREE-BLOWN MERCURIAL RING STAND LAMP, colorless with a slight gray cast, compressed inverted pyriform font featuring an interior air-trap mercurial ring, raised on a brass standard and marble base, #1 brass fine-line collar. Attributed to Thomas and William Cains' Phoenix Glass Works, South Boston, MA. 1850-1865. 8 1/2" high to collar, 3 1/2" square base.
Reference: Published The Acorn, Volume 11, 2001, p. 26.
Parallels Thuro II, p. 50, fig. b.
Parallels Wilson/NEG, figs. 180 and 190.
Provenance: The Duff & Molly Allen Collection. Ex-coll: Joan E. Kaiser
Note: This extremely rare lamp was the focus of an article, "The Significance of a Cains Kerosene Lamp," by Joan Kaiser in the first reference listed above. Based on the existence of this kerosene period device, Kaiser suggests that the period in which the "mercurial ring" decoration was thought to have been used should be expanded from the previously accepted 1820s-1830s to the 1820s-1860s. The lamp offered here, as well as three additional Cains attributed examples from the Allen collection, were illustrated in Kaiser's article.Thuro illustrates another example of this font but on a different brass standard with marble base. She also dates her specimen circa 1860 and suggests that it represents a revival of the mercurial ring technique, possibly by Cains himself. Thuro also offers, "It may be a unique example of this period."

Undamaged with expected light scattered wear to font and normal wear to marble

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