Boulanger Reed Table Lamps –

Lamps in the movies

A Boulanger ostrich egg table lamp was used as a prop in the 2010 French comedy film Potiche. Starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu.

Boulanger Reed Table Lamps

Materials: Square base made of polished and chromed brass. Urn on top of the base. Gold painted iron reed or palm leaves. Brown round conical fabric lampshade, silver foil inside. Bakelite E14 sockets.

Total height: 74 cm / 29.13”

Width: ∅ 35 cm / 13.77”

Base: 10 x 10 cm / 3.93 x 3.93”

Electricity: 3 bulbs E14, 3 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s, 1970s, 1980s – Hollywood Regency.

Designer: To be appraised, in all probability inspired by a lamp designed by Maison Charles, Paris named “Vase Roseaux” (reeds vase) and often sold as a Maison Charles or Maison Jansen lamp. The Maison Charles table lamps always have a stamp in the metal on the back of the base with the company’s name on. The Vase Roseaux is still in production, you can find it on the website of Maison Charles. In shops often presented as “palm lamps”.

Manufacturer: Société Anonyme Boulanger, Liege, Belgium.

Other versions: These Boulanger reed table lamps exists in 2 sizes, the small editions uses 2 light bulbs. Made in polished brass, black lacquered brass, brass and chrome, completely chrome… Many different lampshades. Made in several variations: with an ostrich egg, different base and so on. You can find many examples on this website.

Boulanger

Unfortunately, not much is known about the company. S.A. Boulanger is famous for the large amount of lamps the company produced that are designed by Gaetano Sciolari. S.A. Boulanger ended business somewhere in the early 1980s. There is nothing to be found in the Belgian Official Journal about the company/factory. The journal goes back to 1983. The company is not to be confused by the other Boulanger company from Belgium: Les Ateliers Boulanger NV from Brussels.

VLM Components

All the electric parts were made by VLM Components in the 1960s. The company was founded in 1945 in Buccinasco, a small village near Milan, Italy. The company became famous for the switches they produce since 1968, designed by Achille Castiglioni.
VLM is part of the Relco Group, founded in 1967. Today they are the owners of the brands Relco, Leuci, Relco Lighting, VLM and Segno.

Other Boulanger reed table lamps

Lamps in the movies

A Boulanger reed table lamp was used as a prop in the 2016 French-Belgian television thriller series Zone Blanche (White zone but named Black spot). Starring Suliane Brahim, Hubert Delattre and Laurent Capelluto. Many other lamps were used as a prop. You can find several of them over here.