A Corinthian lamp is a table or standard lamp whose stem takes the form of a Corinthian column, usually with a fluted shaft rising from a stepped square base and finishing in an acanthus-leaf capital. The design was popular for oil lamps from the mid-nineteenth century onwards and was later made in great numbers for electric light.
Victorian and Edwardian examples were commonly cast and turned in brass, sometimes silver-plated, and often carried a glass or ceramic oil reservoir fitted with a duplex or Hinks-style burner beneath a glass chimney and shade. Grander pieces were produced in gilt bronze, silver or marble, and some were retailed by leading London lighting firms. Many surviving oil versions have been converted to electricity, ideally with the original reservoir and burner retained. Collectors look for crisply cast capitals, good proportions, a weighty base and evidence of original gilding or lacquer. Lesser quality versions use thin spun brass or loaded bases. Corinthian lamps sit comfortably in traditional and contemporary rooms alike, and a matched pair flanking a sideboard or console table is a classic country-house arrangement.
