HEATING AND LIGHTING UTENSILS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM 63 



tractive two-spout lamp with reserA^oir, made to fit into a candlestick, 

 comes from the Stevens collection. The reservoir and cover form a 

 globe from which project the two sharply upcurving spouts. This 

 lamp of silver plate delicately modeled and ornamented, was procured 

 in England, but is of German workmanship. (PI. 57, fig. 1, Cat. No. 

 311505, Elizabeth S. Stevens; 11.5 inches (29 cm.) high.) A three- 

 spout lamp of massive construction in cast brass is a product of 

 Ceylonese metal work. The roundel reservoir is screwed to the 

 base. In filling, the reservoir is unscrewed, inverted, oil poured in, 

 and the base screwed on. The lamp is then turned upright and the 

 oil is supplied to the wick by gravity pressure. Evidently this shows 

 the adoption of a western device, notably in the astral lamp. (PI. 57, 

 fig. 5, Cat. No. 234123, Ceylon; Ceylon Commission, St. Louis Ex- 

 position, 1907; 11.8 inches (30 cm.) high.) A rather rudely con- 

 structed brass three-spout lamp comes from China. The spouts are 

 enlarged toward the opening and indicate a thick wick, as in the 

 Ceylon specimen. No data is furnished as to the use to which this 

 lamp is put. (PI. 57, fig. 4, Cat. No. 175873, China ; A. E. Hippisley ; 

 9.8 inches (25 cm.) high.) An elaborate three-spout brass lamp with 

 drip catcher and reflectors was procured in Ceylon. Like the 

 lucernae, the lamp with its accompanying parts is adjusted in height 

 on a stem which was originally tipped with the figure of a cock. The 

 lamp shows much wear and appears old. It is undoubtedly of Eu- 

 ropean suggestion and of European construction. Such a lamp might 

 have come irom France in the seventeenth century. (PI. 57, fig. 2, 

 Cat. No. 234124, Ceylon ; Ceylon Commission, St. Louis Exposition ; 

 27.9 inches (71 cm.) high.) 



WICK-TUBE LAMPS 



Mention has been made of a half tube fastened at the lower end 

 in the reservoir of crusielike lamps for holding the wick more steadily 

 in place. The next step would be to inclose the wick in a tube. 

 This is borne out by the fact that the earliest wick tubes were slanted 

 like the wick in the crusie and the reservoir became tightly closed. 

 This was an important step in the development of the modern lamp. 

 Before proceeding, attention is called to Plate 58, Figure 7, an open 

 tin sconce lamp having a wick carrier bent into a tube at the upper 

 portion, leaving a gutter the rest of the way. (Cat. No. 167026, 

 Madrid, Spain; Walter Hough; 4 inches (10 cm.) high.) Also 

 Figure 8, a pewter lamp having a saucer reservoir with the same 

 installation. (Cat. No. 222188, England; C. G. Sloan & Co.; 9.8 

 inches (25 cm.) high.) An Italian brass lamp of 1589 vnth closed 

 reservoir and wick holes at the four corners is an example of an 

 approach to >-)onditions which did not reach fruition till several 

 centuries later (PI. 59, fig. 10, Cat. No. 153960, Italy; G. Brown 



