Empire-Style Patinated and Gilt Metal Table LampDolphin Tripod on Lion-Paw Base, Converted Candelabra

DETAILS:
Size: 29 cm / 11.4 in — roughly the height of a standard wine bottle
Material: patinated metal and gilt metal
Style-Period: Empire style
Shipping: professionally packed by hand, fully insured, worldwide — we handle the paperwork
Electrical: Before dispatch, our workshop will inspect and test the electrical system, with rewiring and replacement fittings where needed. Delivered working and ready to use.
Condition: good condition, wear consistent with age and use, originally a candlestick and later converted to electric lamp
Lampshade: sold without a shade — leaving you free to choose one that suits your room
Returns: accepted within 30 days

Candelabra were among the most frequently electrified objects of the nineteenth century, precisely because their form suited it so well: a single vertical socket at the top, a stable weighted base below, and enough sculptural interest to stand alone on a mantel or side table once the candle arm was gone. Empire-period design gave candlestick makers a particularly rich vocabulary to work from, drawing on classical and marine motifs — dolphins, lion paws, laurel, acanthus — that read as easily on a lamp base today as they did on a candlestick two centuries ago.

This example is worked as a bicolor piece, combining a darker patinated metal for the upper column and figural work with a brighter gilt metal for the lower base. A tapering, acanthus-collared socket sits atop a triform support formed as three dolphin figures, their bodies curving down to meet a shaped, arched base plate raised on lion-paw feet. Note how the two metal tones are used deliberately rather than incidentally — the darker patina picks out the modeled dolphin and leaf work, while the gilt base and feet catch the light at floor level, a contrast typical of Empire candlestick and lamp design meant to be seen from above.

The piece reaches us in good condition, with wear consistent with its age and long use, most visible as light surface rubbing across the higher points of the patina. It was originally made as a candlestick and has since been converted for electric use, a common and accepted history for pieces of this type. Placed on a bedside table or at one end of a mantel, it reads as a piece of sculpture that happens to give light.

Worked in a combination of patinated and gilt metal, the lamp is compact and freestanding rather than heavy in the hand, well suited to a side table where its dolphin and paw-foot detailing can be appreciated at close range. Every piece we send is professionally packed by hand, fully insured, and shipped worldwide.

Condition

Electrical details

Read our condition standard. Please ask if you need additional photographs or measurements.

A decorative style is not a guarantee of a particular maker or date. See the individual listing for the stated attribution and period.

Worldwide delivery is included in the price. Every piece is individually packed, tracked and fully insured. No shipping charge is added at checkout. If your destination is not listed, please contact us before ordering.

European Union: no customs and no import charges. Delivery usually takes 2–5 working days after dispatch.

United States: Maison Jaspers pays the tariffs and import duties for you.

United Kingdom: UK import VAT is payable on delivery (5% for antiques over 100 years old, otherwise 20%).

Other destinations: local import taxes may apply and are payable by the recipient. Contact us before ordering if you would like guidance.

Dispatch timing is shown above.

Delivery information

Notify us within 30 days of delivery if you wish to return a piece. No reason is required. Returns are free within the Netherlands and Belgium; from elsewhere you pay return shipping for a change-of-mind return.

Return instructions and your consumer rights