The ten-line kerosene lamp from the collection of the Nizhny Lomov Museum of Local Lore was made in Germany in the 19th century. It features dragon-like decorative elements attached to a porcelain bowl. The company Ehrich & Graetz used the same elements on several of its kerosene lamps.
The Ehrich & Graetz factory was established in 1866 in Berlin by Albert Graetz and Emil Ehrich. The logo of the firm was two seahorse-looking dragons with a sun between them. Most likely, the choice of the decorative elements for the kerosene lamp was influenced by the company logo.
By 1897, the firm was controlled by Albert’s sons Max and Adolf Graetz who had already been involved with the company. The company had establishments in the United States, France, and the UK. Some of the products featured the brands Triumphlampe, Akaria, Matador, and Iris.
Kerosene lamps appeared in the Russian Empire in 1861. Such a lamp was not merely a lighting fixture but also an element of interior décor. Some examples could be considered works of decorative and applied art. In wealthy households, interiors were adorned with glass and porcelain table lamps featuring elegant lampshades.
Kerosene lamps replaced oil lamps and were based on their design. A lamp consisted of a fuel tank, a burner, a glass chimney protected by a metal casing, and a wick-adjustment mechanism to control the flame.
The technical performance of kerosene lamps depended on the width of the wick. It was measured in lines — an obsolete unit of length. Standard wicks had a width of three, five, seven, ten, fifteen, and twenty lines. One line was equal to 1/12 of an inch, or approximately 2 millimeters.
Fuel tanks and lampshades were among the products of many glass factories in the Russian Empire. In the 1880s, many enterprises specialized in producing spare parts for kerosene lamps, including the Klyuchino, Gus-Khrustalny, Urshelsky, and Dyatkovo Crystal Factories, as well as the Vokovo and Konyovo Glass Factories. Metal parts were made of bronze and cast iron. Some components were created upon special orders at porcelain factories in France and Germany.
