The rat de cave — the French chamberstick — was the light one carried: a low candlestick set in a dish to catch the wax, with a loop handle for a finger, made for the walk from the parlour to bed or down to the cellar that gave it its name. When French makers of the 1950s revived the form as an electric lamp, they kept every part of the ritual object — dish, handle, candle — and simply hid a bulb where the flame had been.
This lamp is French, from the 1950s–60s, in gilt metal cast with real care for a small object: the dish bordered by a garland of vine leaves and grape clusters, the handle formed as an acanthus leaf, and a fluted column rising through a scrolled capital to a chased drip cup holding the conical faux candle — an uncommon detail, tapered like a real taper rather than the usual straight sleeve. Run your eye around the dish's border and note how the grapes and leaves stay crisp at their edges — fine chasing on a piece this small is where a workshop either spent its time or didn't. The ecru fabric shade is lined and finished with braided galloon trim top and bottom, echoing the metalwork. The lamp is newly fitted with beige cloth-covered cord, recent switch and plug, and takes a standard B22 bayonet bulb; it arrives with the appropriate plug or adapter fitted for your country, ready to use.
The gilding shows only a few small pits inside the dish, and the shade has minor creases and one small mark but is otherwise clean, as the photographs show. Whoever carried this light to bed before you kept it carefully. It is made for a nightstand, a dresser, or a hallway table.
The lamp weighs 900 grams in cast metal, rewired to current standards with recent plug and switch. It arrives professionally packed and fully insured — we handle the paperwork and worldwide shipping, with all import duties paid by us, so there is nothing to settle on delivery. Returns are accepted within 30 days.
DETAILS:
Total height: 33 cm (13 in) · Base height without candle: 11.5 cm (4.5 in) · Dish diameter: 12 cm (4.7 in) — roughly the height of a wine bottle
Shade: height 15 cm (5.9 in) · base diameter 18 cm (7.1 in) · top diameter 13 cm (5.1 in)
Weight: 900 g (2 lb)
Gilt cast metal; lined ecru fabric shade with galloon trim
Electrical: B22 bayonet socket, max 40W or LED, bulb not included; new cloth cord (1.5 m), recent switch and plug to standard; plug or adapter fitted for the buyer's country; delivered ready to use
Condition: very good condition; few small pits to gilding inside the dish, minor creases and one small mark to shade
