Queen Conch Table Lamp
Materials: A queen conch attached to a brass rod on a square Carrara marble base. Bakelite E14 socket.
Height: 33 cm / 12.99”
Width: 21 cm / 8.26”
Base: 7,8 x 7, 9 cm / 3.07 x 3.11”
Electricity: 1 light bulb E14, 1 x 40 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, but the smaller the better.
Period: 1970s.
Designer: To be appraised, these lamps are all handmade.
Manufacturer: To be appraised. In all probability made in Italy.
Other versions: The shells of this queen conch table lamp were used for many other lamps.
Many of them have their origin in the Caribbean, because the queen conch – lobatus gigas – is edible and lives among others in that area. Conch meat has been consumed for centuries and has traditionally been an important part of the diet in many islands in the West Indies and Southern Florida.
The queen conch is mounted on a brass rod. The base is made of Carrara marble. A label is present, it says: Base Marble. Made in Italy. Genuine Carrara.
Maybe this lamp was sold in souvenir shops along the European coasts. The best place to buy shell lamps at that time. This lamp is a bit more posh than other lamps in this style thanks to the Carrara marble base and the brass rod. It is possible that this lamp was sold in design shops, because it was more expensive than a normal souvenir lamp.
All the electric parts are from the late 1960s, early 1970s and made by VLM Components from Buccinasco near Milan in Italy. This lamp uses a switch designed in 1968 by Achille Castiglioni (1918 – 2002); the VLM 450 switch.
