Painted brian willsher  

Might be a candidate for having "dipped" as we say here in the states. The only images I found online suggest that the specie is mahogany or similar open-grained wood. Getting paint out of the pores would require multiple applications of aggressive paint stripper should you decide to attempt this yourself, methinks.

Thank you for your help I was thinking of doing myself but looks like a bit of a job

Oh, it can be done though a lot depends on patience and a tolerance for working with nasty chemicals and/or managing a mess. There are a lot of surfaces and nooks there but the piece is not large, so dunking it might be an economical choice. Certainly worth getting a professional opinion, IMO.

Why paint such a thing, I wonder? Again left shaking my head. Doing that too often, lately...

hi stevieg,

not an expert but depending on the finish that the lamp had then it might prove easier than you think. as tktoo said emulsion gets right into the pores of untreated wood but it tends to not stick so well to varnish or heavily oiled wood.

might be worth giving it a go yourself first.

cheers,

bb

If it is just a latex or water based paint directly on unprimed wood, the paint should come off easily with paint remover & tools that will not cause harm to the wood surface. This is the fun part of restoration/conservation of neglected items like this, you can put as much time & effort as you want and the results are gratifying, you will never let this lamp go that is unless you flip stuff for fun. Good luck.

You might want to disassemble the electrical wiring first before you start if you decide to do this yourself.

It's hard to believe that someone would have painted it.. I might give it a go take my time

A little update on progress

Despite nagging schadenfreude, I feel your pain. Thanks!