Invented in France about 1820, the sinumbra lamp employed an argand-type burner, with its annular ring oil reservoir concealed within the shade, raised above the flame, and therefore casting little shadow, as its Latin derivation sine umbra, translates: without shadow. The form became immensely popular and typically was positioned on a center table to allow for maximum light. The American market was largely dominated by imported English fixtures, William Carleton being one of the few competitive domestic manufacturers. The sinumbra’s popularity endured two decades, until it was superseded by gas lighting.

Technical notes: There is a very early, possibly original, shellac base coating on the brass that makes it look like bronze. The tinned iron reservoir is painted white.

Related examples: Feld et al. 1991, pp. 76–77, no. 54.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.