I am normally good at I.D.ing lamps I come across, but this one has me stumped.
I am updating the thread because I was alluded to some table lamps that sold for $1600 recently that have the same marble, brass plate, square stem and round stem - and they were Parzinger.
I have not seen a Parzinger lamp or any lamp with this kind of shade - does anyone have a catalogue?
Details of the lamp are:
61.5" high, marble square base, square brass plate at bottom, square brass stem tapered with a round brass stem leading up to a "tulip" shaped white enameled metal shade. The shade is very nice and I thought a unique shade like this would make it easy to I.D. but I have searched and found nothing.
I had it cleaned before posting photos and took it apart to find any markings...none found.
All brass is solid, no plating. Switches on low, medium, high and off.
Does anyone have an idea who could have produced this piece?
Stiffel lamp...
Hi there,
Stiffel did produce lamps designed by Parzinger, and that's what lead me to target Parzinger as a possible source. I did some reading on Parzinger and I only wish I have a source reference on his works - he was prolific indeed in the numbers of designs he released. He issued so many designs it is incredible.
What has been a good starting point for very odd items that I not too often run into, is to study the construction and design and see if there is a designer that is known for those materials or forms in their designs.
I have found some Parzinger Lamps that are not common that were produced by Stiffel, designed by Tommi that have exactly matching stem & base components (square marble, same thickness, followed by a 2" x 2" brass plate, followed by a 3/4" square brass stem, and finally a round stem portion) to the exact dimensions and proportions.
The manufacturer of those Parzinger lamps (Stiffel) produced this floor lamp. That is almost a give in. Now, whether or not it is a design by Parzinger begs to be answered.
I found some Parzinger lamps after some real digging on the internet that I have never seen before anywhere. Very odd ones. In an article done by Parzinger he speaks of white enameled shades on some of his designs - yet I have not found an actual lamp from him with a white enameled metal shade.
The problem here I guess is that I am known for selling off pieces that do not match the theme I/we have in our house - and we do not do brass - period. So it will be sold off, and this may aid someone who knows what it is to not let me in on it.
It is a nice lamp, thoughtfully made and it bears exact components found on these other Parzinger Lamps, there has to be a connection somewhere. I have been doing Stiffel searches like crazy, too and nothing is coming up, but I know from a production point of view the parts took some serious machining and it is unlikely - though I guess not impossible - that another manufacturer produced the precise base and stem parts for another maker other than Stiffel, but this is highly unlikely given the known machining costs for such parts.
I am willing to go in any direction to find an answer, I just need a helping hand to point me in the right direction, or inform me if my current direction is with a certainty a false one.
For what its worth, I do not...
For what its worth, I do not believe that the Parzinger/stiffel connection has ever been definitively documented. Either way, almost all of the Stiffel lamps attributed to Parzinger on the net, are not his work.
Send an email to the folks at Palumbo--they are the Parzinger authorities and will set you straight.
Thanks a heap
I will shoot them off an email, thank you for that.
As for my comment about brass, you can have the Nelson clock, we just replaced it with a chrome Nelson clock. No joke. We really are eliminating brass. See the photo...GONE!
Forgive the walls...I tore off the shelf and have to plaster it up this weekend. ever noticed sometimes when you get a new toy you end up reorganizing the whole room for no real good reason?
As for getting confirmation for a sale, most on here at sometime or an other get an experts opinion for such things - but most of the time it is to know what we have in our collection, I am not into buying odd items I don't know who or where they came from usually, but it happens sometimes - like the chair I asked for an I.D. last week for - we have no clue who made it, but it is not going to be sold - we love it.
I will update the thread when I get an answer - wether it is for or against.
Cheers,
Parzinger not for Stiffel
An interesting comment was passed onto me. Now, for quite some time there have been references given by people, auction houses and here and there about Parzinger doing some lamps for Stiffel.
If we go through various auctions results we can find "Stiffel in the style of Parzinger" but also "Parzinger for Stiffel".
And this seems to mostly be associated with certain styles of Stiffel Lamps that have many of the features on my lamp.
What is interesting, is that even when associated with "Stiffel in the style of Parzinger" some of these Stiffels really do go for a lot - they are actually extremely nice lamps.
But I contacted the web site for Parzinger and I was told that a certain individual (who I will not name) apparently started the rumor that Parzinger did some lamps for Stiffel, but it is false.
Now, if these are the guys telling me this, then I have to take that as gospel - and I don't mind that, but what astounds me is the falsehood and it's ability to stick.
We've seen this before with mis-attributions, but to find this one was really a surprise, I had never looked into it before with any great vigor.
Saying it
In all fairness, you didn't say Parzinger did not design for Stiffel - you said it wasn't like any you have seen from Parzinger. Not the same thing.
I'm glad that is sorted out from that aspect though thanks to the Parzinger Original site.
Now the interesting part will be to find some Stiffel catalogues to find out when this lamp was made, as I am rather curious now.
I am a minor collector
You have to forgive the knowledge I have - there are so many avenues to Mid Century Modern collecting - and I would be qualified as a very minor collector. Remember, I do not resell as a business, just to upgrade to what we want and it is just one house.
Focusing on the exact nature of one designer is not really relevant to me when his work is not of interest to me - it was only by having this lamp fall into my lap that I had to start looking.
Furnishing the house is a hobby, but not a dedicated serious endeavor that I will spend hundreds/thousands on references and materials, and only when I am stumped do I come here - generally I get a long OK. I've been doing this 2 years now and know an awful lot, and there is a vast amount I do not know.
Time helps, you learn something new each day or week and that is good enough if it is not your livelihood.
a solution
tinyarmada,
You state: not a dedicated serious endeavor that I will spend hundreds/thousands on references and materials.
Here is a solution to your problem. Stop buying things that you do not know anything about and you will not have to ask others to do your homework.
To believe that your constant postings for help identifying all your finds (POS) has nothing to do with resale is a reach.
Try something different and share some knowledge. If you are too poor to buy a book I would suggest that you save your limited funds.
Really?
When you get a lamp for under $20 that looks as good as this, you're going to buy it regardless of whether you know what it is, or is not. It will not hurt either way.
The quality is there and that's always the pre-requisite for anything I buy.
Querying one out of every 40 purchases is no big deal. For every 40 I buy, I only end up posting one up on here when it gets me stumped.
You can view the ID threads I have done and see what has been sold - there are not many of them. A Nicos Zographos Bench - not for sale, a leather chair - not for sale. And now this lamp which yeah, I am selling.
At least I say I'm I.d.ing it for resale, I see plenty on here where they say nothing and sure enough it winds up being sold.
I do research as far as I can - I wouldn't put up things on here unless I was stumped, and I am glad when I get the helping hand when someone knows something.
But this thread has reached it's conclusion. I am after general Stiffel knowledge now and I know where I can start on that road, and I will probably get what I seek.
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